Abu Alam, a worker of a tannery belonging to a famous brand, has been residing in a slum in Hajaribag for five years. He has been suffering from gastrointestinal and dermatological problems. Alam has been unable to go to his workplace for the last couple of days. He lies in his slum house throughout the day. His mother, Rehena Khatun, laments his son’s sickness. She told this correspondent, “My son’s whole body has been affected with skin diseases and there is no improvement even after taking medicines. We can’t take meal three times a day for his illness. Rather medicines have to be taken regularly on doctors’ advice. How will we stay alive? The correspondent observed this situation while visiting Hajaribag tannery industrial area. Talking about this, Dr. Shawkat Haider, renowned dermatologist, told daily sun that the tannery workers process animal hides with toxic chemicals. They usually use toxic chemicals like chromium, sulfur, manganese, copper compounds and lead to tan the leather, which are very harmful for their health. The workers are not provided with hand gloves and masks when they work with the chemicals. The prolonged use of these chemicals leads to severe cases of skin diseases, gastrointestinal sickness, jaundice, respiratory infections and hypertension. In most cases, medicines do not work on them and their working ability loose at their productive age. “Chemical mixtures, acids and dyes used in the tanneries are extremely toxic for human health and it pollutes the air,” Dr Shawkat added. This is very alarming for us because, 25,000 tannery workers who are directly working in tanning industry are affected with high chemical pollution. Ninety per cent tanneries of the country are located in Hajaribag of the capital where seven lakh people live. All of them are affected due to air pollution caused by chemical pollution from tannery industry. “We urged the government several times to force the tannery owners for constructing ETPs (Effluent Treatment Plants) to bring down the rate of pollution which may help people of this area to avoid health hazards,” Tania Ahmed, a resident of Hajaribag area, told daily sun. “The owners of tanning industry do not live in Hajaribag though their industries are located here. So, they are not suffering from tannery waste pollution and have no commitment to the people in this area,” she added. A total of 220, out of 240, tanneries are located in the centre of the city. Industries Minister Amir Hossen Amu at a recent programme said, “We have allocated plot for each tannery owner to Savar industrial park in a bid to relocate tanneries from Hajaribag to free Dhaka city from pollution due to chemical pollution from tannery industry. “All tanneries will be shifted from Hajaribag to Savar industrial areas by December 2014, otherwise their plots will be cancelled,” he added. - See more at: http://www.daily-sun.com/details_Tannery-pollution-causes-health-hazards_994_1_2_1_3.html#sthash.QSUHKKeE.dpuf