The memorandum cites child lead exposure risks, alleged nighttime battery burning in Paba and calls for mobile courts, monitoring and public awareness campaigns.
Youth and environmental groups in Rajshahi on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding an immediate halt to the illegal burning of old batteries for lead production and recycling, saying the practice threatens the environment, biodiversity and public health.
A delegation from Barendra Youth Forum and Green Coalition, an alliance of youth, environmental, voluntary, social and cultural organisations in the Barind region of northwestern Bangladesh, submitted the memorandum at 2:00 pm to Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Kazi Shahidul Islam.
The memorandum said old batteries are being burned illegally to produce and recycle lead, a process it described as highly dangerous for the environment and public health.
It said the burning of batteries produces toxic black smoke with a strong, pungent smell, creating severe air pollution and health risks. Tiny particles of lead enter the air and sharply increase lead levels in the human body, it said, adding that exposure can cause breathing difficulties, pneumonia, kidney complications, anaemia and even cancer.
The groups said the pollution also contaminates soil, water and air, damages cropland and kills livestock and biodiversity.
Citing UNICEF’s report “The toxic truth: Children’s exposure pollution undermines a generation of potential”, the memorandum said one in three children worldwide, or about 800 million children, have blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre. Nearly half of them live in South Asia.
In Bangladesh, an estimated 35.5 million children have blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per decilitre, the memorandum said. It added that lead poisoning severely hampers children’s brain development, and that Bangladesh ranks fourth among the worst-affected countries in terms of the number of children affected.
The memorandum alleged that an illegal battery-burning operation has long been running inside the boundary of a business named “Eight Star Metal” near the road beside the Fire Service station on Airport Road in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi district.
It said old batteries are burned there at night and lead is collected, putting Rajshahi’s environment, biodiversity, agricultural land and public health at serious risk.
The memorandum said existing environmental laws and policies in Bangladesh prohibit such activities, but illegal factories continue to operate in Rajshahi and other parts of the country. Authorities sometimes conduct drives to shut them down, it said.
The groups placed five demands for stopping the illegal burning of old batteries for lead production and recycling in Rajshahi and across Bangladesh.
They demanded an immediate halt to illegal battery burning at night in Paba and all other areas of Rajshahi, and the permanent eviction of all illegal factories built beside localities and cropland.
They also demanded the arrest and exemplary punishment of owners involved in lead burning without environmental clearance and licences.
The memorandum called for stronger monitoring to protect Rajshahi’s environment, biodiversity and public health, and for regular mobile courts by the Department of Environment and local administration. It said surveillance should be increased in such areas, particularly from evening to dawn.
The groups also called for government action to raise awareness about the dangers of lead pollution, including public announcements by microphone and awareness meetings in different areas. Local youth and voluntary organisations should be involved in the effort, they said.
Separate memoranda were also sent to Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Md Yusuf Ali, Department of Environment Rajshahi Deputy Director Mosammat Tachmina Khatun and Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ibnul Abedin.
Those present included Barendra Youth Forum President Md Atiqur Rahman, General Secretary Poly Rani, Amar Bangla Tarun Sangha President Tahmid Zaki, Swachchhalata Association President Ehteshamul Alam Joha, Green Coalition Rajshahi members Miratuz Jahan Mili, Rakib Hasan Bappi and Sumaiya Khatun, among others.
During the meeting with the deputy commissioner, the delegation urged immediate effective steps to stop lead pollution to protect Rajshahi’s environment, biodiversity and public health. They also called for action to protect Rajshahi’s ponds, dighis, water bodies and reservoirs.
