The Department of Environment slapped Tk 1.5 lakh fine on Ria Auto Rice Mill in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj for violating operational conditions.
The penalty was imposed on Thursday following a hearing at the DoE鈥檚 monitoring and enforcement office at Agargaon in Dhaka.
The order was issued by DoE director Syed Forhad Hossain under the Environment Conservation Act 1995 (amended 2010).
Along with the fine, the mill authorities were instructed to comply with six conditions, including the construction of a water reservoir and waste disposal zone to prevent damage to farmland and local people from ash, hot water and waste discharge.
DoE鈥檚 Sirajganj assistant director Tuhin Alam told 抖阴精品 on Friday that the action was based on a complaint filed by farmer Sohag Hossain of Chandaikona.
鈥楢fter an on-site investigation, we found evidence of violations and submitted a report to the headquarters. The higher authority then passed this order after the hearing,鈥� he said.
Earlier on May 25 this year, the same rice mill was fined Tk 1 lakh for similar violations but continued operations without fulfilling the conditions.
On Wednesday, affected farmers and locals staged a human chain and demonstration, demanding the cancellation of the mill鈥檚 clearance and a halt on digging of a pond on arable land.
