Harmonising industrialisation and environment conservation Muhammad Selim Hossain Since the dawn of human civilisation, every nation

has been endeavouring to maximise economic development in one or another way as it is closely related to the living standard of a nation and domination over others. Therefore, man has conducted different economic activities over time. Among them, industrialisation has served him best in economic sufficiency. The more a country is advanced in industrialisation, the richer she is economically. But it's a matter of penitence that the industries are bringing forth gaseous, liquid and solid waste on larger scale that are polluting water, air and soil -three basic elements of environment, the valuable non-renewable natural resources. It leads to serious environmental degradation including climate change, depletion of biodiversity etc. But all this is because of our recklessness. If we take some effective initiatives in the process of industrialisation

thoughtfully, it is possible to boost economic growth and conserve environment at the same time. However, this write-up is an attempt at elucidating how industrialisation can serve economic growth without causing to environment harm, specifically in the perspective of Bangladesh. Industrialisation in Bangladesh Although Bangladesh is primarily considered as an agrarian economy, industry now makes a significant contribution to GDP of the country. There are industrial zones pivoting around principal urban centres of Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna. Besides, various small and medium scale industries are scattered all over the country. A recent survey conducted by the DoE (Department of Environment) notes that more than 1200 industries of the country discharge about 35,000 cubic meter wastes that pollute air, water and land ultimately leading to environmental degradation. Water pollution by industries: Water pollutants come from different sources but industries play a major part in water

pollution. Industrial acids, pesticides, oil, and different types of toxic materials destroy aquatic plants and animals. Industrial wastes are thrown into rivers and other water bodies in Bangladesh. The water of Buriganga is a shining example which is being polluted by 53 industries of Postogola and Fatullah, and 151 tanneries of Hazaribag. Tanning wastes contain sulfuric acid, chromium, ammonium sulfate, chloride and calcium oxides. These may seep into ground water polluting both the surface and ground water resources. Control strategies: Water pollution is a major concern for management of water resources in Bangladesh. To control water pollution by industrial wastes, the following strategies may be taken into consideration.

Making policies concerning the control of water pollution with industrial wastes. Adopting any scientific mechanism for monitoring water pollution and its intensity. In the developed countries pollution control measures are in use. They set a legal limit on the amount of pollutants a source is allowed to

discharge into the environment. A more effective tool is an effluent charge. It is a price that the polluter has to pay for discharging wastes into the waterbodies. There must be some incentive to reduce water pollution. To purify polluted water, more water treatment plants may be established. The use of toxic chemicals in industry should be banned. Where it is not possible, that is, if toxic chemicals are the residues of any industrial process, then these should not be disposed of into the environment but recovered and reused.

Air pollution by industries: Rapid urban growth accompanied by increased industrial activities, increased consumption of energy and increased use of automobiles are the mainstay of the primary sources of air pollution in the modern world. Combustion of fuels in industry, meaning operation, stone crushing, manufacturing process in chemical and textile industries, production of fertilisers and pesticides pollute the air. Industries emit

harmful gases into the atmosphere as byproduct of their production process. In recent years there has been grave concern over the air pollution situation in the urban areas of Bangladesh, specifically in the metropolis of Dhaka and the port cities of Chittagong and Khulna. In Dhaka, with the advent of the dry season every year, a thick blanket of smoke and dust covers the city. Air pollution may cause tuberculosis, bronchitis and eye infections. Management strategies: As major source of air pollution from human activities are industrial units, much of the pollution may be reduced through control strategies.

Emission from industries must be controlled using better, more effective and efficient technology. Economic policies such as setting emission standards and emission charges may be applied to reduce emission by industries. Brick fields should use clean fuels and be located away from human settlements. In case of Bangladesh industries should

be decentralised from industrial areas of Dhaka, Khulna and Chittagong. That is, industries should be scattered away from human settlements. Sufficient space should be allotted around and within the compound of any industry for mandatory plantation. The engines used in different industries which are very old and produce more smoke should not be used further and thus replaced. Less smoke producing fuels should be used in industries.

Land pollution by industries: Land, one of the most valuable resources gifted by nature, may be degraded in different ways. Yet, industrial wastes play a major part here. Land pollution is one form of land degradation. Recently, across the whole world, industrial waste is polluting especially the soil of the agri-land surrounding the urban centres. The liquid and solid industrial wastes greatly pollute the topsoil which is highly productive and suitable for plant growth. Industrial

wastes bring about great changes in the physical characteristics and chemical composition of the soil. Thus, industrial wastes lead to deterioration of soil quality that is supposed to spell disaster for the continuation of different species of flora and, through the links in the food chain, different species of fauna. The problem is acute in the agri-lands surrounding the urban area of the developing countries like Bangladesh. Here, untreated wastes are dumped around the industrial units producing these. Arsenic is also found in the wastes of metallurgy, pharmaceuticals and pesticide producing industries. Soil contaminated with arsenic affects leguminous plants, rice and onions as these have low tolerance to it. A survey regarding the effects of industrial wastes on the farmland around the EPZ area at Savar, Dhaka conducted by the Environmental Science Department, Jahangirnagar University, reveals these information highly. Although Bangladesh has a low level of industrialisation, unplanned proliferation of

industrial units and the encroachment of their effluents on fertile agri-land is cause for concern. The soils along the rivers Buriganga in Dhaka, Sitalakhya in Narayanganj and Karnafuli in Chittagong are severely polluted by the effluents of industries located on their banks. Management strategies: In a country like Bangladesh with a land area of around 144000 square kilometres and a population of 114 million, land is a scarce resource. To save this valuable resource from pollution by industrial wastes, the following steps can be considered:

Plants tolerating toxic chemicals should be planted and only the crops tolerating excessive toxic chemicals cultivated on the polluted land. Modern Effluent Treatment Plant should be established in the compound of every industry to treat the effluents successfully that respective industry produces. hIndustries should not be established near agricultural land. The industrial wastes, both solid and

liquid should not be thrown into the water of lake, pond, haor marshes near agriland before treating properly. These wastes may pollute the surrounding land while overflowing the wetlands. Management of industrial waste Environmental conservation has become one of the most talked about topics of today in the world for multiple causes. Proper management of industrial waste can ensure environmental conservation to a great extent. However, for the management of industrial wastes, the following initiatives may be added to the above mentioned ones.

Create awareness among industrial entrepreneurs about the benefit of producing less waste. Sort out and keep separately for collection the things which may be recycled. Re-use the waste is an environment friendly and economical method of disposal. Sometimes waste produced by one industry may be used by another industry as its raw material. For instance,

the sludge produced by the Chittagong Steel Mill is being used by the Chittagong Cement Factory thereby, saving Taka 15 million worth of import of clinkers since 1989 (Paribesh Adhidoptor 1990, P.56) Organic wastes may be easily composed with the help of different species of earthworms. After composting, the wastes become organic fertiliser. In the city of Guwahati in the northeastern region of India since 1996, a local firm has been producing organic bio-fertiliser brand named "Black Gold". This ecofriendly non-toxic fertiliser is sold for use in agriculture. Genetic engineering may lead to future solution. Development of microorganisms that will decompose even hazardous wastes, may become available in future (Khuda, Zinatunnesa, RMM, 2001, P.81). Research into this field has given hopeful result.

Concluding remarks From the above discussion, we may draws a conclusion that if we can tackle the bad

effects of industrialisation, an outstanding mainstay of economic development, by taking proper management strategies of industrial wastes, as mentioned above, it will serve both the purposes of economic growth and environmental conservation. And then sustainable development can surely be achieved