Illegal tobacco gul factory pollutes environment

A gul (a tobacco dust product) factory is running illegally at remote Mahishkhocha village of Aditmari upazila under the district, polluting the environment there.

The factory named Badsha Gul Factory has continued production of the harmful item in the populated area for the last five years without any permission from the Department of Environment (DoE), locals said.

The factory, employing poor women and children for low wages, runs round the clock and the bad smell from tobacco dust creates nuisance for the nearby people and passers-by, they said.

School going children are worst sufferers.

A section of low income people use gul as a 'smokeless' tobacco, keeping the item inside the mouth.

“The local environment is polluted due to spread of tobacco dust from the gul factory. We keep our noses covered with cloth while passing by it,” said Nur Amin, 45, a resident of Mahishkhocha village.

"I feel uneasy due to the bad smell from the tobacco dusting in the factory. It poses health hazard for the villagers," said Khadiza Akhter, a Class X student of a local school.

Local trader Ashraful Islam, 40, said he and many others in the area urged the gul factory owner to shift it from the populated area but the latter declined, saying that he has all necessary documents for it.

Meherun Begum, a woman worker of the factory said she gets Tk 100 as daily wage for putting tobacco dust into 1000 mini plastic containers.

"I am suffering due to bad smell of tobacco dust. About one hundred workers work in the factory," she added.

The factory owner, Badsha Miah claimed that he need not take any permission from DoE as the factory 'does not pollute the environment'.

"I run the factory by paying revenue to the government properly," he added.

"Badsha Gul Factory pays Tk 10 thousand as revenue every month. The DoE is supposed to supervise the environmental issue," said Suzon Kumar Roy, inspector of Customs Vat and Excises in Lalmonirhat Circle.

Aktaruzzaman, assistant director of DoE in Rangpur Division, said, "I am unaware about the tobacco gul factory. I will take legal action after visiting the spot soon."

Source:thedailystar,October 22, 2015