The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to complete all infrastructural works, including setting up of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), at Savar tannery estate within four weeks, reports UNB.An HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim passed the order following a plea filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).The court also asked the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to prevent mixing of solid wastes with liquid wastes.Syeda Rizwana Hasan moved for BELA while lawyer Rois Uddin stood for the Industries Ministry.Earlier in 2001, the High Court ordered the tannery owners to relocate their tannery units from Hazaribagh to Savar to prevent environment pollution.The government extended several times the relocation deadline following requests from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the implementing agency of the tannery estate project.On March 6 this year, the High Court directed the government to shut down the Hazaribagh tanneries and disconnect all of their utility services, including gas line, power and water immediately, as they missed several deadlines to relocate their factories to the Savar Tannery Estate.The government allocated the land of Savar Leather Industrial Park in year 2003, since then 16 years have passed since the High Court took the decision to have the high-pollution industry transferred out of Dhaka. Earlier, on April 8 Department of Environment (DoE) disconnected utility services—electricity, gas and water to some 224 tanneries in city’s Hazaribagh area in compliance with the high court. Earlier on 6 March, the High Court ordered the government to immediately shut down the Hazaribagh tanneries and cut off their utility services because they have missed several deadlines to shift their factories to Savar Leather Industrial Park.According to Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA), Out of 155 factories, all the factories have already shifted to Savar Leather Industrial Park.
