DoE fines Asian Paper Mill Tk 20 lakh

Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined Asian Paper Mill at Hathazari upazila Tk 20 lakh for not running Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and keeping chemical waste in a pond.

The fine was imposed after a hearing at DoE Chattogram office at Khulshi area.

Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, director of Chattogram DoE (region) told The Daily Star, “They were putting chemical waste in a pond inside the industrial area, but this violates the environmental conservation act. Moreover, they were not operating their ETP. We fined them Tk 2 lakh for this.”

DoE also ordered them to activate the ETP within one month, he added.

Contacted, MA Salam, managing director of Asian Paper Mill claimed that the water in the pond was due for treatment. “We will lodge an appeal against the fine at the ministry,” he said.

During a 2017 investigation, DoE found the mill was polluting the nearby Morachhora stream, as the level of oxygen and temperature of the waterbody did not match the standard level.