River Pollution

Critical Environmental Issues Relating to

Tanning Industries in Bangladesh

S.M. Imamul Huq I

Abstract

I ndustrialisation has been rapid in B angladesh during the last decade, particularly in the

sectors o f leather, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. However, these industries

are discharging and dumping their wastes and eflluents without treatment into nearby

water bodies. Tanning - one o f the oldest industries in the country - contributes to a

great extent. Most tanneries are in Dhaka, beside the River Buriganga into which they

flush their waste water. Studies have found high levels o f pollution at several points in the

river. Macrophytes in the river absorb various amounts o f nutrients and pollutants, but the

macrophytes are then eaten by livestock or humans. Other studies have measured heavy

metal species in soils and plants in the tannery areas that have been affected by tannery

waste. In g rasses, C r a ccumulates to concentrations exceeding the limits set by health

authorities, and the yields and performance o f rice and wheat are reduced.

TH ERE are a t p resent 2 14 t anneries in B angladesh:

2 00 o f t hem in t he city o f D haka and 1 4 o thers

scattered all o ver t he country. C overing a n area o f

2 5 ha, Hazaribagh in t he heart o f D haka c ity is t he

centre o f t he entire leather industry o f B angladesh.

N early 1 49 t anneries o f t he 2 00 p roducers o f

l eather a nd l eather p roducts a re l ocated in t he

H azaribagh area. Fifty three o f t hese 1 49 o perate

all y ear r ound (Enamul Haque e t al. 1 997).

T anneries in H azaribagh w ere s tarted in 1 960

by Punjabi traders from w hat w as t hen Pakistan.

T he i ndustries g rew a nd , after the i ndependence

o f B angladesh in 1971 , b ecame a ' cash c ow' to

e arn f oreign c urrencies. In t erms o f f oreign

e xchange e arnings, h ides and leather a re a mong

t he f ive l eading c ommodities in B angladesh

( Khatun and H uq 1 994 ; Enamul Haque e t...