Authorities order closure of RC Cola factory in Gazipur for pollution

Gazipur district administration has ordered Partex Beverage to stop production in the factory for pollution following complaint by locals.

Soft drinks RC Cola, RC Lemon and Upper 10 were produced in the factory.
 
Local people of Banglabazar at Mirzapur Union in Gazipur Sadar Upazila alleged the outflow of liquid wastes from the factory had been polluting water in the area.
 
It was clogging water and damaging crops, they said.
 
They blocked Rajendrapur-Banglabazar Road on Tuesday and filed a written complaint with the district administration.
 
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nurul Islam, Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Hossain, Department of Environment’s (DoE’s) local office Deputy Director Sonia Sultana and other officials visited the area on Wednesday.
 
People in the neighbourhood showed them how the Partex Beverage factory had been polluting environment.
 
Deputy Commissioner Islam told reporters after the visit that an order was issued to stop all sorts of production in the factory until further notice.
 
A five-member committee was formed to investigate the allegation, Additional District Magistrate Hossain said.
 
The members of the Hossain-led panel are the Gazipur DoE deputy director, additional superintendent of police, a representative of Gazipur City Corporation and the manager of the factory.
 
They are to submit the report in five working days.
 
Locals alleged that the factory authorities continued production without keeping any option for disposal of liquid wastes in the system.
 
They said the liquid wastes spread to open places, causing damage to crops in several kilometres surrounding the factory.

DoE’s Sultana told reporters that they did not find any drainage system for the disposal of liquid wastes that were clogging water in the area.
 
He said the complaint filed by the locals was forwarded to the DoE headquarters in Dhaka that ordered an on-spot investigation.
 
Factory General Manager Mohammad Didarul Alam, however, claimed that the liquid wastes were not behind the water clogging.
 
“The liquid of our factory does not go outside. Water from outside rather enters our factory,” he claimed.
 
He requested the district administration to arrange a drainage system to remove the water.
 
Partex Beverage is one of main associates of Partex Group.
 
Former BNP MP MA Hashem is the chairman of the group.