Toxic factory waste swallows Gazipur’s water bodies
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Toxic liquid waste from factories is swallowing up Gazipur’s canals, beels, and rivers. Without any treatment, thick black and reddish chemical waste rolls down into water bodies, turning life miserable under the intensity of the poison.
While monsoon currents temporarily veil the contamination, the true extent of destruction emerges during the dry season. Poison is spreading not only into the Chilai River and Turag River, but across all surrounding water bodies.
An inspection by the Bangladesh River Foundation identified at least 224 sources of pollution in the Turag River. Among these, 54 are industrial factories, 42 are canals and drains, 115 are domestic and other sources, and 13 are local markets.
The organization warned that pollution from one river is spreading to others, putting the entire regional aquatic ecosystem at grave risk. Under environmental laws, installing an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) is mandatory, and ETPs have been set up in around 680 washing factories.
However, to cut operational costs, untreated toxic waste is discharged late at night through bypass lines. For factory owners, paying periodic fines to the Department of Environment proves far more profitable than bearing the expense of running ETPs continuously.
A field visit to the Pagar Kheyaghat, located near the eastern boundary of Tongi BSCIC, revealed that a large drain discharged BSCIC wastewater directly into the Turag River.
Waiting for a boat, local resident Anisur Rahman said, “I used to bathe and catch fish in this river before. Now, as soon as you get close, the stench is so strong that you cannot even stand there. The water has ruined completely. One cannot even think of stepping into it.”
Although daytime regulatory presence maintains minimal control across Gazipur’s industrial zone, nightfall opens the floodgates for industrial waste. Streams of chemical-laden liquid pour out of factory pipes, traversing canals and drains before emptying into the Turag.
Allegations indicate that while most facilities possess ETPs, they are rarely kept operational. To avoid high electricity and chemical costs, factories dump untreated effluent directly into rivers and canals in the dead of night.
Visits to various canals across Tongi, Konabari, Kashimpur, Kadda, Baimail, Pubail, and BSCIC revealed water running chemical foam, jet black, dark blue, or reddish.
This toxic runoff is devastating agriculture and local livelihoods. Irrigating fields with canal water burns crop seedlings and ruins soil fertility. Farmers in Basan Beel and the Baghia region no longer harvest crops from lands that once yielded bumper harvests.
River fish have vanished, pushing thousands of workers out of their traditional occupations. Heavy metals such as lead, chromium, and cadmium contained in the industrial waste are contaminating groundwater reserves.
Environmentalist Muhammad Monir Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh River Foundation, said, “The rivers of Gazipur are being continuously polluted. Pollution from one river is spreading to another, and even the groundwater is getting contaminated. The increased levels of heavy metals such as lead, chromium, and cadmium in the water are having a severe impact on the human body and aquatic life.”
He added, “Skin diseases, bronchitis, and respiratory problems are increasing in this region. To tackle the situation, it is essential to ensure the installation and regular operation of ETPs in all factories and to strictly enforce pollution control laws. If Gazipur becomes endangered by pollution, Dhaka will not escape its impact either, because it is located upstream of the capital.”
Gazipur houses over 2,000 garment and manufacturing factories. Although around 680 washing factories installed ETPs, many remain completely non-functional. Factory owners display reluctance to operate ETPs due to high running expenses, opting instead to discharge raw waste secretly into waterways.
As a result, agricultural yields continue to collapse. Fazlul Haq, a boatman from the Basan area of Gazipur City Corporation, expressed deep despair, “Previously, Basan Beel produced plenty of fish, and the rice crop from this beel sustained families throughout the year. Now, rice production does not happen properly. While some fish are found during the monsoon, no fish remain in the river and beel during the dry season. Many lands lie fallow.”
Similarly, Billal Hossain, a resident of the Baria area, added, “The canal water was once a blessing for us, but now it has turned into a curse. Irrigating with this water burns the leaves of plants, and often the seedlings get destroyed. Fish farms are at great risk, and crop production on land has declined significantly.”
Md Delowar Hossain, an attorney at the Gazipur Bar, noted that factory authorities find paying occasional fines far more convenient than running treatment plants, “Due to river and environmental pollution, the Department of Environment occasionally conducts drives and collects fines. The very day after paying the fine, factories return to polluting again. The amount saved by keeping an ETP shut down for one month means that paying a fine every two or three months causes no issue for the factory. Even after collecting repeated fines, the Department of Environment cannot make any decision to shut down production-oriented factories.”
Confirming the systemic failure, Hasan Yusuf Khan, president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Gazipur City Corporation, said Gazipur lacks an effective mechanism for industrial waste management, adding, “If strict oversight and enforcement of the law are not implemented immediately, the canals and rivers will be completely destroyed.”
Acknowledging the ongoing pollution challenges, Arefin Badal, deputy director of the Gazipur Department of Environment, responded, “Upon receiving complaints, drives are conducted and fines are levied. CCTV cameras have been installed in many factories. However, it has not yet been possible to bring all factories under control, and monitoring is being strengthened further.”
