Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said the government is working to introduce environmentally friendly, low-cost technology for industrial waste management. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar on canal excavation, revitalising circular waterways and expanding inland water trade in Bangladesh.

The minister said chemical waste harms canals and rivers when industrial establishments do not install effluent treatment plants, or ETPs. He said conventional ETPs are too expensive for many small and medium-sized industries, making lower-cost but effective treatment technology necessary. As an example, he said an industry valued at Tk20 crore could struggle to survive if installation of an ETP alone costs Tk10 crore.

During a recent visit to China, the minister discussed the issue with relevant people and received technical ideas for low-cost waste treatment. Such technology could potentially be implemented privately for Tk10 lakh to Tk20 lakh, though the government will decide only after assessing its effectiveness. He also said canal recovery programmes have begun in several districts and stressed continued dialogue with businesspeople, experts and other stakeholders.