Halda pollution: Power plant fined Tk 20 Lakh

The power plant of Chattogram responsible for releasing untreated furnace oil to a nearby water body that connects to the Halda river was fined Tk 20 lakh today for damaging the environment.

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Big industries killing Halda

The Department of Environment (DoE) in Chattogram also asked the Hathazari 100 MW Picking Power Plant to halt its production until it builds an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) of its own, our correspondent reports quoting Azadur Rahman Mollik, director of the DoE.

Also read: Power plant’s furnace oil dumped into water body linked to Halda river in Chattogram

The power plant released the untreated substance in Morachora streams which is connected to Halda River on the night of July 7 during heavy rain, a team of DoE found upon investigation.

Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ruhul Amin had told The Daily Star that the power plant has been in such practice for long.

The plant authorities have no ETP (effluent treatment plant) to treat the burnt furnace oil. So, they used to release those substance whenever heavy rainfall occurs, the UNO had said.

Professor Manzoorul Kibria, an eminent Halda researcher, also backed the UNO’s claims.