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1
In the context of environmental sustainability,
the industrial sector has a major role to
play, especially through efficient effluent
treatment. Though this is mandatory by law,
compliance remains largely disregarded. Untreated
chemical wastes, which often contain heavy
metals, are discharged into rivers, canals,
wetlands and even agricultural lands, severely
degrading them and causing health risks to
people. This remains a challenge which the
government intends to address seriously. The
planned relocation of high risk industries like
tanneries and cloth dying plants from the city of
Dhaka to areas where the impact will be minimized
is a step in right direction.
2
Shortage of energy supplies is hampering the
industrial expansion in the country. Since power
is not available in much of the rural areas and
is subject to load shedding where available,
setting up of industries is discouraged. Also,
industries in and around the urban centres of
Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi face power
shortages. The government has initiated plans
for increasing power generation in phases.
On-shore exploration for gas is being
intensifies and offshore exploration is planned.
Very recently, some oil reserve has been found in
two places,
3
the estimated reserve, if extracted, is enough to
meet the total national demand for two years.
But, when that will be on stream is still not
clear. In order to increase the economic growth
in the country, poverty eradication and
development efforts should concentrate on the
long neglected areas in addition to the four
cities mentioned above. Rapid industrialization
in these areas will provide jobs to people of
these areas, improve the lives and livelihoods of
the people and curb rural-urban migration. For
this to happen, infrastructural support including
uninterrupted electricity supply incentives are
necessary, which is a challenging proposition but
one that has to be addressed seriously.