The High Court (HC) has directed the Department of Environment (DoE) to shut 27 dyeing factories, and private hospitals on the banks of the Buriganga River, which have no environmental clearance certificates.
The High Court bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah, issued the order on Sunday, following a report submitted by the DoE.
The 27 structure are-Medicare Diagnostic and hospital, Riverside Hospital limited, Chadni Textile Mills, Kadamtoli Dying and Printing, TPI Textile Processing Industry, Nurani Textile Mills, A Majid and Sons Dying, Khadija Textile Processing and Printing, Agrani Dying and Printing, Subarna Dying and Printing, Masud Textile, Soniya Dying and Printing, Jeddha Dying, Sheba Textile Processing Limited, Molina Textile Limited, Sams Dying, M J Dying, Rafsan Dying, Aziz Metal, Alif Metal, NX Corporation, Agrani Molding, Matlab Iron, Perfect Ware, SS Electroplating, Khan Ready-Mix and Mohammadia Pipe.
According to the High Court order, DoE has to shut down these establishments near Shyampur and Postogola within 15 days.
The court also issued a rule asking the managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) to explain, in 15 days, why legal action should not be taken against him for making false statements about sewerage lines not being connected to the Wasa line.
The court also decided on December 2 to pass an elaborate order on the writ.
Advocate Manzill Murshid said: "Earlier, the HC sought reports from the DoE, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and the Wasa MD, about structures without valid environmental clearance certificates, sewerage lines, and Wasa lines. According to the DoE report, there are 37 structures in the area but 27 of them do not have environmental clearance certificates.
Manzill added: "The Wasa MD also submitted a report that there are no sewerage lines connected to the Buriganga river. But BIWTA, in their report, said there are several sewerage lines that are connected to the river, which further pollute the river."
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed the writ in 2011.
Earlier in July, the BIWTA evicted at least 198 illegal establishments from the banks of the Buriganga River in Keraniganj.
