Incomplete, undersized and a source of difficulties on every level. The relocation of Bangladesh’s tanneries from the ageing and heavily polluting district of Hazaribagh to the supposedly more modern and efficient industrial zone of Savar has long been a political and social saga. Eight years after the completion of the lengthy and arduous relocation process, the environmental impact of the country’s tanning industry remains a serious concern because Savar’s central effluent treatment plant (CETP) has never been fully completed. The consequences are felt not only by the Dhaleshwari River and its tributaries, but also by the competitiveness of local tanneries.
Savar’s CETP remains a problem
The issue has been highlighted by the Leather Industry Development Foundation of Bangladesh (LIDFB), according to local media reports. This organisation is calling for the creation of a dedicated ministry for manufacturing industries, capable of responding more swiftly to the needs of the country’s industrial sector. The crisis, as noted, is first and foremost environmental. The CETP remains incomplete and ineffective, making it incapable of meeting the requirements of the tanning cluster.
As a result, the Dhaleshwari is suffering much the same fate as the Buriganga River before it. Yet the environmental problem is also becoming a social and economic one. Around 140 tanneries are currently operating in Savar, out of a total of 162 available plots, but only eight have obtained certification. As a consequence, most companies are limited to exporting semi-finished products to China, where they are processed into finished goods before being sold on international markets. This leaves Bangladeshi tanneries without direct access to brand customers.
Photo: Shutterstock, Savar CETP
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