Tobacco factory poses health hazzards to students

2 April 2014

The students said they could not stay for long hours in their school since the odours started emanating from the tobacco factory
A tobacco factory constructed only 10 meters away from three schools in Saptibari Village in Aditmari upazila, Lalmonirhat, is posing serious threats to the health of the students and the locals in the area.

Teachers, students and locals claim that the noise and odour generated from the processing of tobacco inside the factory is jeopardising the atmosphere for education within the institutions.

The three schools are Saptibari High School, Saptibari Govt Primary School and Saptibari Blind School, the last of which is a school for visually impaired children, all located at a distance of 10 meter from the tobacco factory Mian Leaf Ltd.
Headmaster of Saptibari Govt Primary School Rasheda Begum, Saptibari High School Headmaster Tayez Uddin Tazu and faculty member of Saptibari Blind School Ershad Ali have all submitted objection letters to the tobacco factory.
If the factory continues operating, ignoring their objections, tougher actions would be called for within the locality, they said.
They urged the authorities concerned to take steps in having the factory removed from the area without delay and restore an atmosphere more conducive to education.

Sources within the factory said Mian Leaf Ltd was constructed on approximately 80 decimals of land in the area in 2012 and started operating in April last year, which is the harvesting season for tobacco.
The students said they could not stay for long hours in their school since the odours started emanating from the tobacco factory.

Ibrahim Miah, a visually impaired student, said: “We study through speech, therefore we need a noise free environment. We are losing concentration in studies because the tobacco factory runs so close to our institution.”

Saptibari Union Parisad Chairman Sohrab Hossain said locals would wage tougher movements if the tobacco factory gets approval.

When contacted, Manger of Mian Leaf Ltd Auhiuzzaman Chowdhury Khokan said the factory was only being constructed. It would begin operations after receiving permission from the Department of Environment (DoE).
Senior Technician of Rajshahi Divisional DoE Mir Kashem said related permission papers had been submitted and the factory would get approval soon.

However, Director of Rajshahi Divisional DoE Ali Reza Mazid said if the locals do not approve of the factory, it would not be permitted to operate.

Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rezaul Alam Sarker said administrative action would only be taken if the factory continued operating without any legal documents.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/environment/2014/feb/07/tobacco-factory-poses-health-hazzards-students