Tk10cr 'safe landfill' project aims to curb Savar tannery pollution

Infograph: TBS

The government is initiating a project to construct a "safe landfill" in Dhaka's Savar, aimed at preventing the pollution of the Dhaleswari River and surrounding soil caused by solid waste from the local leather industry.

The Tk10-crore project, funded by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund, will be implemented by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the state-run entity responsible for the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate. The project is scheduled to run from January to December of this year.

BSCIC officials believe that the completion of the project will aid in obtaining Leather Working Group (LWG) certification for compliant tanneries. Obtaining LWG certification signifies that a tannery adheres to global environmental and social standards in its operations.

Of the total 1,710 marks in the LWG assessment, 150 are allocated to waste management. Previously, tanneries have been unable to secure this certification due to their failure to meet the waste management criteria.

Currently, there is no solid waste management system in place at the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate. Tannery waste is openly dumped on the banks of the Dhaleswari River, leading to both river and soil contamination.

This initiative to construct a landfill for solid waste management comes four years after the completion of the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate project.

The Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) was completed in June 2021, though it has not been fully operational. Subsequently, a separate firm was established to handle waste management.

In October, following the fall of the Awami League government in August, the project titled "Dhaleswari Protection: Prevention of Pollution from Tannery Waste Leachate and Soil Contamination in BSCIC Industrial City" was undertaken.

Funding for the project was approved at the 61st meeting of the Climate Change Trust's Board of Trustees. Approximately five months after the project's approval, in March, BSCIC appointed a project director.

The BSCIC officials said currently, solid tannery waste, including chromium-contaminated water, is treated at the CETP before being discharged into the Dhaleswari River. However, waste that cannot be treated at the CETP is currently dumped in open areas.

The Ministry of Environment has long expressed concerns about the pollution of the river and the environment. The Department of Environment had previously suspended the issuance of environmental clearances for tanneries until compliance was ensured.

Following demands from tannery owners, the issue of environmental clearances was resolved. Now, the government, using funds from the Climate Trust Fund, will finance the construction of a landfill for solid waste management.

The BSCIC officials said the open dumping of solid waste has resulted in liquid waste seeping into the soil, causing contamination. There are also concerns that chromium-contaminated sludge could leach into the groundwater. The new project aims to mitigate the risks of groundwater and soil pollution.

Md Forhad Ahmed, general manager at the Planning & Research Division of BSCIC, told TBS, "Essentially, there is no solid waste management system for the tanneries in the Savar Industrial Estate on the banks of the Dhaleswari River. Solid waste, particularly chromium-containing waste, is being dumped in the open, polluting both the water and the soil."

Benefits of landfill

He added, "A multi-layered pond, similar to a landfill, will be constructed to prevent solid waste runoff from reaching the groundwater. The pond will be designed to collect leachate in a specific area, from where it can be transported to the CETP for treatment before being discharged into the river."

Stating that once implemented, this project will resolve the long-standing issue of solid waste management, Forhad said, "It will facilitate the acquisition of Leather Working Group certification, as 150 marks are allocated to solid waste management in the certification process. This will address the previous obstacles in obtaining LWG certification."

According to the LWG assessment protocol, tanneries are evaluated across 17 categories, totalling 1,710 marks. These categories include environment, traceability, social responsibility, health and safety and chemical management.

The LWG awards gold certificates for scores of 85% and above, silver for 75% and above, bronze for 65% and above, and audited certificates for factories achieving 50% of the marks.

Apex Footwear Limited has received gold certification, ABC Leather has received an audited rating, and Riff Leather Limited has received a bronze certificate.

The certification allocates 150 marks to waste management and another 150 to effluent treatment. In the Savar tannery estate, these two issues are largely dependent on the completion and effective operation of the CETP.