Govt allows five air polluting factories near Sunderbans

Govt allows five air polluting factories near Sunderbans

The government has allowed five air polluting cement factories in ecologically critical area of the Sunderbans.

Responding to a question of Workers Party lawmaker Lutfunnesa Khan— environment, forest and climate change minister M Shahab Uddin made the discloser at the Jatiya Sangsad on Saturday.

He said that the air polluting factories were being operated 6km distance of the Sunderbans.

The allowed air polluting cement factories are—Meghna Cement Mills Ltd, Bashundhara Cement Mills Ltd, Mongla Cement Mills Ltd, Dubai-Bangla Cement Mills Ltd and Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd.

In a scripted answer, the minister informed the House that the factories are located in places which are six kilometers away from the Sundarbans reserved forest and the Department of Environment regularly monitors the factories and provides suggestions to their entrepreneurs so that the industrial units can’t pollute environment.

Besides, the minister also said that there are some industrial entities including LPG plants, but these are not environment-polluting industries.

However, replying to another question from Awami League MP Momotaz Begom (Manikganj-2), Shahab Uddin said the government declared 10 kilometers areas surrounding the Sundarbans Reserve Forest as ecologically critical area in line with Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995.

Shahab Uddin said the number of Sundari tree has declined, but the number of Gewa tree has increased in the Sundarbans.

The area covered by Sundari tree was 20 percent of the Sundarbans in 1985, which came down at 18 percent in 2013, he said adding that the area covered by Gewa tree was 4.5 percent of the Sundarbans, which went up to 5.25 percent.