Auto rice mill near school

An influential quarter is setting up an auto rice mill close to a government primary school at Atharodana in Ghatail upazila, ignoring local people's objection.

Villagers said if the rice mill near Atharodana Badeparshi Government Primary School goes into operation, it will destroy local environment and pose health risk to the students and teachers of the educational institution.

Meanwhile, agitated locals staged a demonstration recently and demanded to stop the ongoing construction of the rice mill there.

Local administration, however, could not stop the construction work as the owner of the mill got approval from the Directorate of Environment (DoE).  

Locals said construction of Dhaleshwari Agro Food Mills, which is only a few hundred feet away from Atharodana Badeparshi Government Primary School, started in October last year.

They also submitted a complaint to the local administration and DoE in this regard, but to no effect, villagers further said.

A number of guardians including Anwarul Kabir and Azmat Ali said if the mill is constructed there it will badly hamper the kids' education.

"If the mill is constructed beside the school, I will have to shift my son to other school," Anwarul said.

Headmaster of Atharodana Badeparshi Government Primary School Khorshed Alam said although they raised their objection against the construction of the rice mill, the owner did not bother.

Contacted, Anwar Hossain, owner of the under-construction rice mill, said before the start of the mill construction work, an advertisement was published in the newspapers, saying if anyone has any objection in this regard, but no one raised any objection then.

Later, I got approval from the DoE, he said, adding that although construction of another mill is going on some distance away, a section people is instigating the villagers to raise objection against his mill.

When asked about the environment pollution, Anwar said now everything is automated.

Because of using modern technologies, it will pose no threat to local people and the school kids, the further said.

Ghatail Upazila Education Officer Masudur Rahman said although investigations had been conducted in this regard on several occasions, the construction work is still going on. 

Ghatail Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munia Chowdhury said the mill owner has valid approval from the DoE.

Md Ziaul Haque, director of DoE (Dhaka region), said they held three hearings in this regard.   Although the mill owner appeared in the hearing, the school authorities did not, he added.