The Department of Environment (DoE) plans to incorporate a new guideline on industrial sludge management in the environmental regulation, officials said on Tuesday.
The officials told a consultation of Bangladesh-Germany joint-project, titled Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry (PSES), that they have almost completed the guideline for effluent management of textile and other industries.
The consultation was jointly organised by DoE and GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) in the capital.
“Sludge generated from effluent treatment plants (ETPs) used in textiles and other industries poses serious threat to our environment. Sludge management standards and guidelines are extremely important as an initial step towards the solution of this problem.” said DoE director (international convention) Rafique Ahmed.
PSESI senior advisor Elke Shrestha said, “Following this consultation process, we expect to see the standards and guidelines for textile sludge, hazardous sludge from other industries and sludge from central effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in industrial zones finalized and gazetted to become part of the environmental regulations.”
In 2009, DoE signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the PSES to support DoE to develop a national guideline for Industrial sludge management.
The draft guideline, styled “Standards & Guidelines for Sludge – Municipal, Industrial and CETP”, was prepared by German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA).
Source: UNBConnect
