A Study on Waste Water Management in The Dhaka EPZ Area

Abstract

DEPZ bear a lion portion of the total economy of Bangladesh. Due to its flourishing industrialization it also poses threat to the environment at the same time. Huge amount of water is consumed and wasted everyday. This study attempted to assess the wastewater management in the DEPZ area. To conduct this study firstly the industries of EPZ was classified according to both DoE and EPZ to facilitate or ease the work to assess some representative industrial process. Then treatment procedure of their waste water is examined. Finally, an EIA has been conducted to evaluate the overall impact in the surrounding environment of DEPZ taking into account 30 parameters related to physico-chemical, ecological or biological and human interest parameters. After assessing the inlet and outlet parameters of water it is obvious that discharged water from CETP is maintaining the DoE standard according to ECR, 1997. But from field observation it was found that water is polluted outside the CETP. The main reason was that there are lots of industries other than EPZ which discharges waste water to the natural surface water without properly maintaining the DoE standard. Government or relevant authorities have not proper control over them. From the result of the EIA, it is seen that total value of physico-chemical parameters, ecological parameters and human interest parameters are -14.25, -17.25 and +36.75 respectively. As a result, total EIV value becomes +5.25. It was also obvious from the EIA that the most negative impact was in the fisheries and surface water quality in terms of both availability and quality. Terrestrial habitat and Agricultural lands are also in great threat. But positive value comes in the human interest parameters and thus in the total EIV mostly due to employment generation and commercial progress, socio-economic development and improvement in the sectors of transportation and education. xiv Based on the major findings of the EIA some recommendations are proposed to mitigate the adverse impact of the DEPZ industries on environment. Among them, control of the industries outside the DEPZ by the concerned authority to ensure reduce the impact on surface water and fisheries is of prime importance. Tree Plantation scheme should be initiated as early as possible. Good working environment should also be introduced for preventing accident and ensuring public safety. Effective environmental management plan should be implemented to coordinate these measures.