The deadline set by the government authorities to relocate highly flammable chemical warehouses and factories expired on August 25, without any progress in the process. The deadline was set on February 25 by the government, five days after a devastating fire killed at least 68 people in Chawkbazar, an incident that harks back to the Nimtoli inferno which had left another 124 dead in 2010. Both the disasters were chemical-fuelled.
As no chemical factory or warehouse was relocated, hundreds of such dangerous factories and warehouses still exist everywhere in the densely populated old part of capital Dhaka, leaving public life in severe risk. According to Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BPA), there were 25, 000 chemical warehouses in old Dhaka. Of those,at least 15,000 were located to different residential buildings.
On the other hand, only 2,500 among 25,000 warehouses have licenses from the authorities concerned, and the rest 22,000 warehouses are running illegally.
When contacted, Uttam Kumer Roy, Chief Public Relations Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said, he has no updated information regarding the process of relocating the chemical factories and warehouse. Different agencies of the government are still working on it, he added.
After the Chawk Bazaar tragedy, a task force, comprising members of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), RAB, police and district administration, operated 86 mobile courts in different areas from February 28. The task force cut off utility services of at least 76 godowns and factories in different parts of old Dhaka and realised fines from the owners. Some of those warehouses and factories were also given deadlines for relocation. But, none of those warehouses shifted their respective locations, even though mobile courts set a deadline of seven days on several occasions. According to FSCD data, only 14 chemical godowns had been shifted since February this year. But shifting has taken place only from one residential area to another.
FSCD officials have admitted that they did not have any idea about the progress of the relocation of the chemical godowns. They last conducted drives in that area in late March and do not know the current situation. Chemical traders said, relocation of chemical concerns from old Dhaka could not be possible as the government-allocated space was yet to be ready.
Meanwhile, the government authorities have decided to relocate all the chemical factories to Sirajdikhan in Munsiganj on the bank of River Dhaleshwari from the old part of capital Dhaka by 2022, and chemical warehouses to Kadamtoli in Keraniganj and Kathaldia in Tongi by 2020.
Md Enamur Rahman, state minister for Disaster Management and Relief, after an inter-ministerial meeting on disaster management said, for the relocation of chemical factories, about 310 acres of land has been allotted at Sirajdikhan and a project at a cost of Tk 1,700 crores has been undertaken. As part of the project, 2,154 plots will be distributed among the factory owners by June in 2022. He said, the project has been taken up considering the catastrophes in Nimtoli and Chawkbazar.
According to sources, there is a piece of land of 6.17 acres at Katamtoli where 54 warehouses will be built while 53 warehouses will be built at Kathaldia in Tongi. All those 107 warehouses for chemical substances will be distributed among the owners by June in 2020. The State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief also said, chemical factories and warehouses will no more be allowed in any residential area as well as near any educational institution.