Chattogram's Halda River is the only freshwater fish breeding ground in the country. The river is unique for various reasons. In the face of pollution alongside encroachment, Halda is losing itself as a river.
When natural sources of fish are declining and also it is very important to protect rivers like the Halda as a breeding ground for native fish, the river is getting burdened with pollution. The waste of many industries has become a major threat to the river.
Most of the factories near the Halda do not have an effluent treatment plant (ETP). Even those factories, having one, are releasing their untreated waste into the river in an opportune moment to cut cost of waste refining. Already, many factories have been fined as a punitive measure. The authorities have stopped production of some factories too.
Last month, the Department of Environment (DoE) stopped the production of the Hathazari 100 MW Peaking Power Plant on allegation of Halda pollution. On the same charge, the production of Asian Paper Mill located adjacent to the river was stopped on Sunday last. In spite of these disciplinary measures, public-private enterprises continue polluting the Halda and Karnaphuli rivers.
They do not want to comply with the direction of the DoE in conducting their activities. Despite repeated warnings, the companies are not implementing their ETPs too. Government officials admit that there are many more such institutions. According to them, most of the large industries are government-owned. Due to legal complications, the DoE is unable to announce the closure of those factories.
Halda, or the 'fish bank', is one of the largest contributors to the nation's daily protein intake. If the government institution itself causes the death of that 'fish bank,' it cannot be accepted. Yes, we need factories, but not by destroying the balance of the environment, especially by polluting important rivers like the Halda. There is actually nothing new to say in defense of the Halda.
For a long time, various voluntary organizations, associations, experts, environmentalists of local, national and international levels have said many things, in various campaigns including seminars, workshops, human bonds, memorandums, about importance of dumping waste into the river. Now the work is all that is left.
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