In 1994 BELA filed this Writ Petition seeking relief against indiscriminate pollution of air, water, soil and the environment by 903 industries including the tanneries of Hazaribagh. After hearing all the concerned parties and upon considering all relevant facts and laws, the Hon’ble Court vide judgment dated 15 July, 2001 directed the Director General, Directorate of Environment to ensure that the industrial units and factories which come within the classification ‘Red’ under Rule 7 of the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997, must adopt adequate and sufficient measures to control pollution within one year from the date of receipt of the judgment and order and report compliance to this Court within six weeks thereafter. In disposing of a follow up application of the petitioner, a division bench of the Hon’ble High Court Division on 23 June, 2009 directed, among others, relocation of the tanneries from Hazaribagh by 28 February, 2010 and regulation of their operation with all appropriate Pollution Fighting Devices, Effluent Treatment Plant (ETPs) and Sanitary Land Fill. On the face of deliberate delay by the tanners to relocate from Hazaribag to the Tannery Industrial Estate, Savar the Hon’ble High Court on 06 March, 2017 directed the Director General, Department of Environment to invoke with immediate effect all statutory powers under sections 4 and 4A of the Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and ensure complete stoppage of all production activity in all remaining defaulting tanneries in Hazaribag. On 24 August, 2017 the Hon’ble High Court ordered to run the central effluent treatment plant (ETP) of Savar tannery for 24 hours every day in response to environmental concerns. It asked BSCIC to monitor whether all four modules are operated full time and ensure that the tanners use separate pipes to discharge chromium. The court also directed the tanners to install salt treatment module in the effluent plant. This matter has been decided as “continuing mandamus’’
Categories: Bangladesh Judgements, Judgements, Judgements on Water pollution