The government has decided to shut down the factories that do no utilise their existing effluent treatment plants (ETPs), Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan has said. The Department of Environment has already been directed on this regard, the minister told reporters following an inter-ministerial meeting at his office on protecting rivers Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya. Saying industrial waste contributes around 60% of river pollution, Shajahan added that the industries which are yet to build their own ETPs would also be given a deadline to set up waste disposal facilities or have their factories closed. The government has been forced to take a hard line approach as fining factories has not produced positive results, the minister said. The Department of Environment has reportedly fined around Tk118 crore to different industries for not running ETPs in the factories. Regarding tannery industries polluting the rivers, Shajahan said the relocation of tanneries to Savar is under way, adding that the only remaining work of setting up a central ETP is expected to be finished by next month. Others attending yesterday’s meeting included Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Local Government Minister Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, and Dhaka mayors Annisul Huq and Sayed Khokhon.
