According to a recent report by New Age, the Dhaleshwari River, once a vital source for farming and fishing communities in Savar, is now heavily polluted, raising fears that the relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh has simply shifted the crisis rather than solved it.
A recent University of Dhaka study has revealed alarming levels of toxic metals and microbial contamination in the river water.
Researchers found E coli at 150 colony-forming units per millilitre, far above the World Health Organisation’s zero tolerance level.
Lead was measured at nearly five times the safe limit while chromium was detected at the upper threshold of safety.
“What we are seeing is the early stage of a contamination cycle that could haunt communities for generations”
Mazharul Islam, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, University of Dhaka
The study examined 26 water samples and warned that pollutants are slowly entering the food chain through fish, crops, and sediments.
For locals, the effects are already visible. Farmers report that they no longer use the river for household needs, fish are disappearing, and cultivation has become difficult.
“In the dry season, the water turns odorous and murky. Fish is disappearing, and cultivation has become difficult”
Abul Bashar, Farmer, Lankerchar
Experts say the relocation was more of a geographic shift than a solution.
“We didn’t fix the problem, we just moved it from Hazaribagh to Savar”
Mostafizur Rahman, Associate Professor, Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University
At the centre of the problem is the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at Savar. The facility was built to treat 25,000 cubic metres of waste daily but tannery discharge often exceeds 30,000 cubic metres during peak seasons.
Officials admit that the CETP can effectively handle only 14,000 cubic metres, leaving a large amount untreated.
The plant also lacks essential systems such as reverse osmosis for salt removal, grease separation, and proper sedimentation tanks.
Chrome recovery units are able to process only 1,050 cubic metres of chromium waste while actual output is about 5,000 cubic metres daily.
“Pre-treatment is mandatory for every tannery, but none are following it”
Md Golam Shahnewaz, Managing Director, Dhaka Tannery Industrial Estate Waste Treatment Plant Company Ltd
Tannery operators argue that the government agency responsible for infrastructure did not provide enough space for proper waste management.
“They did not allocate enough space for effluent treatment plants so that we could conduct preliminary treatment”
Zahidur Rahman, Leather Engineer, Salma Tannery
Solid waste adds another layer of concern. Chromium-contaminated sludge is often dumped openly on riverbanks, posing a serious threat to soil and groundwater.
The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation has started a project to prevent pollution by creating a multi-layered pond to contain toxic runoff before it seeps into groundwater.
Meanwhile, private investors are stepping in. A Chinese company, Bangladesh JW Animal Protein Co Ltd, has begun collecting solid tannery waste to produce gelatin and industrial protein powder for export.
“JW Animal Protein will gradually collect all chrome shaving dust from the tannery estate. They are setting up a factory equipped with an effluent treatment plant on nine acres of land at Nayarhat”
Md Golam Shahnewaz, Managing Director, Dhaka Tannery Industrial Estate Waste Treatment Plant Company Ltd
The Dhaleshwari is now facing the same fate as the Buriganga before it. Without urgent improvements in waste treatment, experts warn that the damage could be long lasting, threatening both human health and the environment.
Source – New Age
