Pollution from battery factory causes Sreepur residents to vomit

A battery factory without an environmental clearance has been continuing its operations for two years in the Chairman Bari area of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur, posing a great threat to the lives and livelihoods of locals. Jelly Industrial Company Limited, a Chinese-owned factory, has become a major environmental concern leading to health complications for the locals. Locals alleged that fumes from burning batteries and molten lead are polluting the environment so severely that they are suffering from nausea, blurry vision and inhalation problems. Aminul Islam, a local farmer, said: “They [factory workers] collect worn-out batteries from outside and burn those at the factory, harming the environment.” “As there is a large amount of agricultural land and a few schools in the area, we protested the setting up of the the factory here. Unfortunately, our efforts were in vain,” he said. Ruma Yesmin, a schoolteacher, said: “We have been suffering from breathing problems, stomach aches and blurry vision due to the smoke that the factory emits, polluting the air.” “Last week, a few fifth graders and a teacher fell ill and started vomiting during class hours,” she said, adding that many parents had  now decided to transfer of their children to a different school because of the situation. Other than the health hazard to humans living near the factory, plants in the area are dying and there have even been reports of deaths among cows due to the environmental degradation. Raihan Pradhan, another local inhabitant, said the factory was set up defying the rules and regulations set by the government. “The factory is melting lead, which is a gross violation of government rules. Three cows have died in the last two months and a total of eight cows have died by grazing in the field close to the factory.” Sonia Sultana, deputy director at the Department of Environment, said: “The factory was allowed to run in the location, but it does not have an environmental clearance certificate.” “Though the factory authorities have applied for the environmental clearance, the objections from the locals are making it difficult for us to sanction it,” she added. However, the factory owners and high officials declined to comment when contacted.