The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined a ship-breaking yard at Madambibir Hat under Sitakunda upazila of the port city Tk 15 lakh for ignoring workers' safety and polluting environment. A team led by DoE Director (Enforcement) Munir Chowdhury fined Messrs Rahim Steel Co under Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995. Sources said six workers were killed and 11 others injured in a fire that broke out while cutting an oil tanker at the ship-breaking yard on December 26 last year.

The DoE in its investigation into Rahim Steel Co found that there were not sufficient safety measures for the workers, said Munir. According to the cleaning certificate issued by the Department of Explosives, the ship was not free from petroleum substances and was posing health hazard to the workers, he said. The yard was asked to check pollution and submit environment management plan as early as possible, Munir added.

Another ship-breaking yard Messrs Sultana Ship-Breaking was fined Tk 7 lakh on Sunday last as one worker was killed and four others were injured in a fire that broke out while cutting an oil-tanker at the yard on July 12 this year. There are a total of 122 ship-breaking yards set up without environmental clearance at the coastal belt of Sitakunda upazila in the district. Over 30 thousand people work in this industry. They have high risks of falling in danger at any time.