• Authorities turn blind eye

Saidul Islam Abir, Raiganj:

Questions have been raised over the silent role of authorities concerned especially officials of the Environment Department as an unauthorized factory has been producing furnace oil and ink for long by burning tyres causing serious threat to the local environment and public health. It is also polluting air tremendously.

Due to establishing the factory on the arable land in densely populated area, normal life of the local residents is being hampered seriously. Its toxic fumes are destroying and polluting the environment severely.

Md Tuhin Alam, Assistant Director of the Environment Department in Sirajganj told The Daily Sky that, “We have already informed the matter to high-ups. After getting instruction, necessary action would be taken.”

Now, question is when the instruction will come and the action would be taken? Is the department crippled to do any good work without instruction of high-ups? Such role of the government most important department’s officials grows mystery.

Locals complained that, despite several objections of the local residents, an influential quarter has set up the mill or factory at the middle place of Bankai and Khiritola village under Dhamainagor union in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj district without any legal permission.

There is an allegation that, the unauthorized factory has been running in the area for long by managing some unscrupulous officials of the concerned administrations including officials of the Environment Department. As a result, none of the authorities has headache over the destruction of the local environment and public health.

Not only that, no visible action has yet been taken by any of the authorities in this regard even after publishing several news-reports on different media recently.

Locals said, one kind of fuel oil and ink are produced at the factory by burning tyres of buses, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles after collecting these from different areas with cheaper rates.

Due to burning of tyres, huge black smokes come out that destroys trees, paddy, vegetables and various other installations in the area.

Jakir Hossain, a local BNP leader told The Daily Sky that, “The production of crops especially paddy and vegetables has come down nowadays compared to the previous years due to black smoke of the factory. Local greeneries are also on the verge of extinction. People, who live in the neighboring areas, are being affected with various diseases including skin infection, asthma, cough and fever for inhaling the toxic fumes.”

Photo: TDS

According to the physicians, burning tires release harmful smoke containing toxic chemicals, posing significant health hazards. The smoke contains pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter, as well as heavy metals, PAHs, dioxins and furans. These substances can cause respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, and potentially increase the risk of cancer.

Sobhan Ali, a local resident said, “The toxic smoke and black ink emerged from the factory are destroying the leaves of trees, paddy and even fishes of ponds. Huge quantities of fishes in my ponds have been perished due to pollution from toxic fumes and black ink of the fuel oil producing mill.”

Suresh Chandra Mahato, another farmer of Khiritola village said, “We can’t cultivate our land located nearby the factory due to its pollution. No one wants to get down in the field’s water in fear of skin disease.”

There is a provision that, the clearance of Environment Department is a must for setting up such a factory or mill. Besides, no urban or populated area is allowed to set up such a factory, which is harmful for the human bodies. But, this mill has been running in the most populated area for long without any legal approval. There is hearsay in the area that, some unscrupulous officials of the concerned administrations collect monthly toll from the factory on condition of staying silent. Not only that, some media workers realize money on monthly base from the factory owner making commitment of not to publish any report in this regard. Thus, the factory is going on and the owner is making money on the top of concerned authorities’ nose year on year. In contrary, locals are facing immense sufferings.

Swapon Sarker, Manager of the factory said, “Furnace Oil, one of the cheapest fuels available for industrial use and a by-product of petroleum refineries is produced at the factory by burning tyres. There are many such factories at different places in the country. The ink produced in the factory is sold at different brick kilns as fuel. I have no legal papers of the factory. But, you can talk to the top bosses of the factory over its legality and necessary papers.”

Humayun Kabir, UNO of Raiganj said, “Action would be taken after an investigation. The work harmful for the environment will never be allowed in my jurisdiction.”