Tonnes of disposed off toxic garbage from Cumilla EPZ is polluting the vast areas of surrounding land and water-bodies. As a result, cultivable lands surrounding the EPZ are turning infertile and water-bodies are becoming unfit for living for aquatic animals and fish.
The surrounding toxic and contagious water has also become unfit for household use and for the purpose of irrigation.
Residents of at least 30 villages living at the southern part of the city and beside the Guingajuri canal of Lalmai and Laksam upazilas, are badly exposed to the adverse impact of the toxic garbage. Though the CEPZ is contributing positively for the economy of the country and creating employment opportunity for the people of Cumilla, its toxic disposed off garbage have also made the lives of thousands of adjacent people miserable.
According to sources, the Cumilla EPZ was established on 167 acres of land at Puratan Airport area in 1999. Now, 47 local, foreign and joint-venture industries are in operation in this EP which disposed off at least 15,000 cubic meter garbage and trash daily. Though a garbage recycle and refinery plant had been set up at a cost of Taka 38.5 crore beside the EPZ, local people complained, that plant is not working properly as the factories of EPZ were disposing liquid trash through the drains regularly and thus polluting the surrounding environment.
The toxic liquid is destroying the fertility of the surrounding cultivable land, polluting the water of canals, water bodies and pond water. As a result, fish and aquatic plants and animals are dying and water of the surrounding areas have become unfit for use. The unbearable stench of the toxic disposals has also increased suffering of the people living beside the EPZ.
Some people of nearby Saktola area complained, the disposed off toxic liquid and garbages have spread to at least 30 areas including Saktoal, Noagaon, Dishbandha, Rajapara, Sree Ballavpur, Kazipara, Rampur, Unaisar, Jangalia, Durgapur, Hirapur, Mostapur, Chandpur, Laipura, sadar Southern area, Bijoypur, Bhabanipur, Jatrapur, Gangkul, Tekaipara, Boropara, Tulatuli, Chhangoan, Lolbaria, Paranpur, Syedpur, Bagmara, Monohorpur, Duattapur and Chhetanga. The liquid toxic waste is also unfit for use for irrigation and even the water-hyacinth grew inside the 20-kilometre long canal is being rotten due to the toxic impact in addition to fish, crab and frogs in the water.
Momtaz and Abdur Rashid of Bijoypur, Titu of Duttapur, Nuru and Nazrul of Bagmara areas informed, day by day the water of Gungaijuri canal is turning more toxic. As a result, no one now uses the water of the canal and even no fish grows there. They demanded to take immediate measure to recycle the toxic waste and to make the contaminated water and damaged land of surrounding areas of EPZ pollution free.
