First it was toxic materialsin the ships,
hauled to the breaking yard for scrapping, which posed hazard to the
environment as well as to the workers and people living in the surrounding
areas. Now we have to contend with the shipbreaking yards disgorging burnt oil
of the dismantled ships into the Bay of Bengal. And this is happening in the
country's largest shipbreaking complex in Sitakunda. It is no wonder that the
recent study carried out by the Marine Department of Chittagong University
shows that the biodiversity of Sitakunda is poorer than that of the other areas
surrounding it.
The reported statement of the director of the
Chittagong Department of Environment (DoE), that the department has not
received any complaint regarding the dumping is quite puzzling. We wonder who
is going to inform him about the pollution. The polluters? We understand he has
his inspectors to exercise watch over these establishments. And they are
certainlynot doing their duty if he doesn't know that one of his areas of watch
is being severely polluted by the errant shipbreaking yard owners.
Admittedly, the shipbreaking industry is of
considerable relevance to our economy, and it poses both opportunities and
challenges. But the opportunities have been exploited while meeting the demand
for raw material for our steel mills. While laws exist to protect the coastal
belt and regulate the industry, which has mushroomed over the last decade, the
oversight appears to be extremely loose. Deliberate breach of the laws by the
owners in cahoots with some unscrupulous officials compounds the problem. Our
coastal belt management must be strengthened and the local DoE officials must
deal strictly and promptly with the violators.
Source: the
daily star. 08 May 2017
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