National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) Chairman Dr Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday expressed disappointment over the efficiency of the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and similar labs in the Savar industrial area.

"Even a village school lab has more equipment," the NRCC chairman said while visiting the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate.

Manjur said the reason for his field visit was to crosscheck media reports regarding pollution caused by the Savar tanneries.

"There are 140 tanneries in this area. I'm baffled to see such poor arrangements in treating waste. I'm disappointed," he added.

But Sanjay Thakur, senior process engineer of Dhaka Tannery Industrial Estate Waste Treatment Plant Company, who is in charge of operating CETP, claimed that his labs are completely fine and follow all the standard practices. He said all wastes are purified before being discharged into nearby rivers.

However, Zahirul Islam Talukder, deputy director of Department of Environment (Dhaka district), who was present at the meeting, told the river commission that the operation of CETP is far from standard.

"We have found the presence of several contaminated elements including chromium in samples collected from nearby rivers," he added.

The NRCC chief said he will soon arrange a meeting with all the stakeholders over the matter.

Besides, the Savar city authorities have been ordered to stop dumping waste into the rivers, he added.

During this time, Manjur also revealed that the river commission is working with a goal to make all the rivers of Dhaka pollution free within 2023.