Despite repeated complaints, criticism from business communities and initiatives from government, the planned Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) over 17 acres of land has not seen the light of day.
However, government claims that 97 percent of the infrastructure work has been completed. Government says that the Savar tannery area is fully prepared to take the pressure of extra hide during Eid ul Azha.
Businessmen are sceptical because the infrastructure is not ready as yet. The work to construct solid waste dumping yard has not started.
Solid waste is disposed on open land.
Much of the waste is disposed in nearby ponds, rivers and other areas.
The polluted water from overfilled dumping grounds is falling into the water of the Dhaleshwari River. Though there is a wall, liquid waste is seeping through the barrier and falling into the river.
In addition, some sewerage lines also end up in the river plus the local roads are dilapidated.
Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim observes, “The work at the industrial city will be completed by June, 2020; a separate leather linkage project will be implemented over 200 acres of land along with a training institute.”
In the leather working group yardstick, there are 1600 parametres and of them, 100 are related to effluent treatment plant, he informed.
“Initiatives have been taken to ensure three dumping grounds for solid waste; also, all the by-products of the leather industry are not harmful; until the usage of Chromium, the produced waste is not harmful and these can be used in manufacturing other important chemicals.”
Director of leather industrial project, Jitendra Lal Pal, added, “The work for the effluent treatment plant will end within the next few months. But we need the support of industry owners. If they do not send waste of their factories then the plant cannot be started.”
President of Bangladesh Tanners’ Association Shahin Ahmed, said: “The leather industry is in jeopardy with orders declining in USA and China.”
Buyers are dissatisfied with compliance issues, he added, saying, “The main reason for the debacle of the tannery town is the failure to fully start the operation of the effluent treatment plant.”
In 2003, the project cost was fixed at Tk 1.75 billion but in 2017, the ECNEC amended the cost to Tk 10.79 billion.
The total number of plots are 205 which will house 155 industrial units; so far, 154 plots have been allotted.