Expressing deep concern over the prolonged tannery relocation process, an environmental rights platform on Tuesday demanded immediate closure of ‘errant’ tannery units. Leaders of Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) at a press conference at its office also urged the government to take back compensation money provided to tannery owners for relocation purposes. Besides, they demanded taking action against the officials concerned for their failure to complete the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Savar Tannery Estate. “The government should immediately cancel the plots of errant tanners in Savar and suspend their operation in Hazaribagh through disconnecting utility services for failure to relocate their units,” POBA Chairman Abu Naser Khan said. He alleged that the tanners had intentionally delayed the relocation process only to get more public funds and facilities from banks by putting pressure on the government. Hailing the government’s recent move, Mr Khan said the government should take stern action against errant tanneries. Speaking at the press conference, POBA Executive General Secretary Engr Md Abdus Sobhan said no tannery unit has yet completed the relocation work, although more than 12 years have already elapsed. “I think it’s nothing but a strategy of tannery owners to receive more funds and banking facilities from the state,” he said. Referring to the key project taken up to save the capital’s lifeline Buriganga River, he said construction work of Savar Tannery Estate got momentum since 2013 following a tripartite agreement, even though the project was approved in 2002. Citing the agreement, he said there is a clause that the tanners will have to repay the money they received as compensation if they fail to relocate their full setup in Savar by 2014, the deadline on which the development work was supposed to be finished. “Although one more year passed, we didn’t see any remarkable progress as far as relocation of tannery units is concerned. So, it’s the responsibility of the government to get back funds,” he said. Talking about the adverse impacts caused by environment hazardous hide-tanning firms, Dr Lenin Chowdhury of POBA said many people used to speak in favour of the industry, considering its foreign currency earning capacity. “If we do cost analysis, we spend too much for environmental degradation and health hazard comparing to that the sector earns. So, we should not allow any further delay as far as liveable Dhaka is concerned,” he added.
