Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Minister of Forest and Environment Md. Shahab Uddin, Cumilla City Cooperative and Krishak Samity Parishad have given a memorandum with Cumilla City Corporation.

They visited the ministries in Dhaka for the last one week and handed over the memorandum in Cumilla.

A 20-member delegation including Cumilla District Cooperative and Krishak Samhati Parishad Advisor Sirajul Haque and convener Advocate Akhter Hossain were present at the time.

Besides presenting memorandums to the ministers, they also alleged that chemical (toxic) liquid wastes from Comilla EPZ and two other industrial establishments were causing severe damage to the environment and biodiversity by mixing crop lands, canals, rivers and reservoirs with water from more than 50 nearby villages. Advocate Akhter Hossain, convener of Cumilla District Cooperatives and Krishak Samiti Parishad, said, "I have given a memorandum to the minister about the serious (chemical) toxic liquid waste of Cumilla EPZ and two other industrial establishments causing severe damage to more than 50 nearby villages." The Hon'ble Ministers have assured us to take immediate and effective steps to resolve this issue. He said. A six-member high-level investigation team from the Department of Environment, led by Shamim, has been visiting the villages for two days.

In the memorandum, the farmers and cooperatives claimed that the aquatic plants and fish were dying due to the liquid waste and the strong smell was emanating from the black water. Earlier, if you worked in the water of agricultural land, your body would itch, now it is rotting. Even today, the sewerage system has not been introduced for the drainage and sewerage of the 150-year-old city of Cumilla.
Even in the long years since the establishment of the City Corporation, the suffering of waterlogging has not been alleviated. At present the city has a population of about 4 lakh. The sewage and water flows through 3 canals to the Dakatiya river in the south.

It is said that the toxic chemical liquid waste of EPZ along with the water of these canals which have become narrow due to encroachment and pollution is dishaband, Dhulipara, Kazipara, North Hirapur, Sriballavpur, Mostafapur, Gopinathpur, South Rampur, Gopalnagar, Bamisha, Satbaria, Jasmat, Yashpur. , Noagaon, Sultanpur, Durgapur, Laxmipur, Hossainpur, Noapara, Lolbaria, Srinivas, North Vijaypur, Chhangaon and more than 50 villages in the southern part of the city, including agricultural land, canals, beels, rivers and reservoirs. Apart from this, waste from Safiul Alam Steel Mill in South Durgapur area and Summit Group's power project in Batabaria area are mixing with the water in these areas and causing severe damage to crops, plants, houses and biodiversity. In addition, aquatic plants and fish are dying due to toxic waste, and a strong odor is emanating from the black water.

If the agricultural workers worked in the water of the land, the body would itch, now it is rotting. If this is not remedied, people in areas at least 40 km south of the city will have to face environmental disasters.
Earlier, Monirul Haque Chowdhury, chief adviser of Cumilla District Cooperative Krishak Samiti Parishad and former MP, handed over a memorandum to Cumilla City Corporation Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku and the District Environment Department seeking redressal of the harmful waste.

Cumilla District Cooperative and Krishak Samhati Parishad was formed as a part of the social movement to save South Comilla. Former Member of Parliament Alhaj Md. Monirul Haque Chowdhury, Adviser Md. Sirajul Haque, Advisor Kazi Nazmus Sadat are the chief advisors in the committee.

Advocate Muhammad Akhter Hossain was made the Convener and Shawkat Shaheen was made the Member Secretary of the 15-member committee. Is the joint convener of the committee.

Yasin, Jamal Hossain, Aminul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Harunur Rashid, Motaher Hossain, Shamsul Haque, Ayub Ali, Fazlul Haque, Mohsin, Motaher Chowdhury, Tajul Islam Manik, Abdus Sattar are the members.