5 'air polluting' cement factories near Sundarbans get environmental clearance

Five cement factories located near Sundarbans have got environment clearance, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin told parliament today.

In reply to a question from lawmaker Lutfun Nesa Khan, the minister said, “Near to the Sundarbans, five air-polluting cement factories in Mongla port industrial area of Bagerhat district were given environment clearance certificates.”

The factories are Meghna Cement Mills Ltd, Bashundhara Cement Mills Ltd, Mongla Cement Mills Ltd, Dubai-Bangla Cement Mills Ltd and Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd, said the minister.

In a scripted answer, the minister informed the House that the factories are located in places which are six kilometers away from the Sundarbans reserved forest and the Department of Environment regularly monitors the factories and provides suggestions to their entrepreneurs so that the industrial units can’t pollute environment.

Besides, the minister also said that there are some industrial entities including LPG plants, but these are not environment-polluting industries.

However, replying to another question from Awami League MP Momotaz Begom (Manikganj-2), Shahab Uddin said the government declared 10 kilometers areas surrounding the Sundarbans Reserve Forest as ecologically critical area in line with Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995.

Shahab Uddin said the number of Sundari tree has declined, but the number of Gewa tree has increased in the Sundarbans.

The area covered by Sundari tree was 20 percent of the Sundarbans in 1985, which came down at 18 percent in 2013, he said adding that the area covered by Gewa tree was 4.5 percent of the Sundarbans, which went up to 5.25 percent.

Source: thedailystar