2.

Site Description and Operational History:

BUP Lake is also known as Monpura Lake. It is a dead channel of Turag river which is now
artificially blocked and converted to an artificial reservoir. It is a moderately deep stagnant water
body, where water flows as the wind direction. BUP Lake is located by Bangladesh University of
Professionals at Mirpur-12, Dhaka,1216, Bangladesh, where the latitude is 23°50′23″N and the
longitude is 90°21′19″E (Figure 1). On the east side of the lake there are permanent academic
buildings and, on the west, there are artificial vegetation and infrastructure. Construction work of
academic buildings are in progress of BUP and MIST. Artificial gardens are created to enhance
the aesthetic view of the institution. Floating bridge is built in the middle of the lake to make a
connection between two campuses. But on the lake, there are some discharge points which
discharge waste water directly into the water. Construction wastes, solid wastes are the potential
waste materials dumped into the lake and fertilizers from plants seep through runoff.

Figure 1: Google earth image of BUP lake

The lake is an artificial reservoir, which is cutoff from a flowing river. The lake increases the
aesthetic view of the institution. It is also a great source of water for the vegetation and
construction work that is running in BUP and MIST. In the past the used to be a source of water
for the nearby resident and there was also natural vegetation coverage nearby the area. But with

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time the lake was totally transformed. A terrace slope was formed where the infrastructures and
gardens are created and for this purpose the natural vegetations were removed. And the lake was
wider but for construction of west campus the banks were filled with sand with made the lake
narrower. Pisciculture is also being practiced now. The overall environment of BUP lake is quite
environment friendly. But there are disposal points directly into the lake, light pollution was also
observed. Mismanagement of solid waste which includes concrete, metals, dust, paints etc. from
construction sites. Which also increases the chance for occupational health hazard when handling
equipment. No scope for natural ventilation in the buildings so air conditioners are used which
releases GHG. Local records of accidents include elevator falls but minor to no injuries
happened. Waste disposal and runoff to the lake is violating some environmental regulations. But
except that, the overall environment of the lake was decent.

3. Environmental Setting

3.1 General: The Lake is located in Dhaka Division and the climatic condition here is
characterized by tropical wet and dry climate. Hot and humid summer and dry winter is
experienced. The area falls under the south-central climatic zone of the country. And the annual
rainfall that it receives is moderate to high. The average relative humidity remains higher during
the monsoon season. The direction of wind varies depending on the seasons and the lake water
flows with the wind.

The lake is surrounded by an educational institution and there are residential area and
agricultural land nearby. The lake receives an amount of runoff from the nearby lands and also
receives discharge water from the nearby areas. And it is also a reservoir of rainwater as the lake
is a closed body it helps to store rainwater. The banks are not paved or fence but there is artificial
plantation by the banks. Different trees are planted to increase the fertility and strength of soil.
And there are trespassing, pathways and bridge over the lake.

3.2. Topography: There is artificial slope created by the lake to support vegetation and to build
infrastructure. The area has a plain topography but excavation was done in the area making few
areas higher then usual. The top soil is loose making it vulnerable for soil erosion. The heavy
vehicles and equipment used in construction work influence soil deformation.

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3.3. Geology: The lake lies in the south of the Madhupur Tract. The Pleistocene Madhupur Clay,
a yellowish brown to highly oxidized reddish brown silty clay, dominates the area, with
Holocene sediments made up of alluvial silt and clay, marshy clay and peat covering the south,
west, and east. The construction work may have impact on ground water quality and depth of the
underground water level as it needs constant water supply.

3.3 Hydrology: The lake is a closed water body and not connected to any other channels or
streams. So, there is no flow into or out of this lake. Surface water is a bit turbid due to runoff
and construction work. Pisciculture is practiced in this lake. The lake water is freshwater but not
drinkable. It is also used to reserve rain or storm water. Due to pesticide runoff from nearby
garden and agricultural lands the water faces algal bloom. Heavy metal may also seep into the
water.

4. Pathway/Potential Receptor Assessment: The pathway through which the pollution happens
are given below-

BUP lake: The potential pathways of pollution are air, water, soil, waste etc. The overall
condition of Bup lake is quite decent but still due to poor ventilation, runoff, soild waste disposal
and soil displacement there are some risk that might happen. And the potential receptors are-
current occupants, nearest resident, remedial workers, construction workers, future occupants,
future construction workers, trespassers, environmental receptors, plants, animals and freshwater

3
organisms. And the potential risk along with the receptors are given below-

Low ventalation Runoff.

Air

Soil
Leeching. Debris
Water

Waste management
system. Heavy metal Runoff. accumulation.
Debris and dust contamination Soil erosion. soild waste
from from disposal.
construction site. construction site. Soil
deformation. Disposal points.
Air conditioners Waste disposal.
used which Pesticide Potential
Debris and dust receptors:
increases GHG. accumulation. useage.
Kitchen smoke. Top soil loose. Occupational
Flating bridge hazard,health
Potential causes Potential
hazard,
receptors: microplastic receptors:
Health hazard, pollution. Ground water ecological risk.
Occupational Potential pollution,
hazard, receptors: ecological risk.
ecological risk. Ecological risk,
health hazard.

Figure 2: Pathway/Potential Receptor of pollution from BUP lake.

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 DO (ppm) pH
Metro rail (Point-2) Metro rail (Point-2)

Metro rail (Point-1) Metro rail (Point-1)

BUP Lake BUP Lake

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 7 7.27.47.67.8 8 8.28.48.68.8

TDS (ppm) EC (µS/cm)

Metro rail (Point-2)
Metro rail (Point-2)

Metro rail (Point-1) Metro rail (Point-1)

BUP Lake BUP Lake

0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100150200250300350400450500

Turbidity (FNU) Salinity (PSU)

Metro rail (Point-2) Metro rail (Point-2)

Metro rail (Point-1) Metro rail (Point-1)

BUP Lake BUP Lake

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 0.120.130.130.130.130.130.140.140.140.14

Temperature (ºC)
Metro rail (Point-2)

Metro rail (Point-1)

BUP Lake

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Table: Data table of water parameters of BUP lake water

Parameters Average Standard Remarks

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 DO (ppm) 0.63 4-6 Lower than the standard

pH 8.53 6.5-8.5 Alkaline

EC (µS/cm) 308 750 Suitable for fisheries

TDS (ppm) 153 500-1000 Within permissible level

Salinity (PSU) 0.15 0.5 Below DOE permissible  limit

Turbidity (FNU) 17.3 10 High

Temperature (ºC) 27.75 20-30 Within range

Risk Evaluation:

BUP lake: Possible risks originating from BUP Lake side are discussed below-

 Occupational health hazard: Construction works are happening in the BUP and MIST
campus area which is very close to the lake. There are many construction workers along
with stuffs working in this area. There are absence of personal protective equipment and
risky equipment are kept unprotective in the construction site. There is also dust and gas
emission from the site, which contributes to air pollution. And may cause respiratory
problem of the workers. As well the ventilation system of BUP campus is very poor
making it vulnerable for stuffs working there. If there is any power failure there is hardly
any place for fresh air or light and the overall atmosphere becomes very suffocating. And
there are not adequate fire exists which can be very risky if there is any fire breakout.

 Mismanagement of solid waste: Waste produced from the university kitchen are
sometimes discharged directly into the lake water. The construction waste is sometimes
piled up which contributes to heavy metal accumulation and leaching to the lake. There
are not adequate dustbins in the campus area for this reason solid wastes are sometimes
dumped into the open land.

 Runoff: Pesticides, insecticide and fertilizers are used in the gardens and nearby lands for
production purpose. There are harmful chemicals in these pesticides and fertilizers which
end up into the lake water during downpour. These chemicals are very harmful for the

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 fishes and any living organism in the water. And excessive nutrients in them contributes
to algal bloom and decrease dissolve oxygen level, which might collapse the lake
ecosystem.

 Release GHG from air condition system: In BUP campus the ventilation system is very
poor. There is no scope for natural light and air to enter hence, air conditioners and
artificial lighting are used in the premises. But it is very power consuming additionally it
releases harmful Greenhouse gases (GHG) into the air, which eventually contributes to
global warming.

8. Remedial Option Evaluation:

Occupational health risk mitigation

 Empowering employees to recognize workplace dangers is an effective way to raise

safety awareness. The behavior-based method is driven by employee observation
programs. Employees' safety motivation and awareness rises when they can detect
and correct hazards in the workplace, and occurrences decrease.
 Orientations and training sessions must hold for all levels of workers. In addition,
specialized training is provided to provide specific understanding regarding
dangerous occupational tasks. Employees get ongoing safety orientation and training,
which equips them with the knowledge and skills they need to execute their jobs
safely.
 Incidents must be reported to the proper personnel as soon as possible. The
investigative process includes determining the root cause and making
recommendations to prevent repeat incidents. Near misses are valuable learning
opportunities that will be investigated as true incidents.
 Personal protection equipment must be ensured for every worker.
 Hazardous and risky materials should be immediately removed from the site and
chemicals must be covered or stored properly.

Solid waste management:

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  Disposal points that are directly dumping waste into the lake should be
immediately removed.
 More dustbins should be placed in the premises.
 Metals from construction sites should be transported immediately after work.

Runoff prevention:

 Use of pesticide and fertilizer should be minimized and can be shifted to organic options.
 Fence and embankment can be created.
 More trees should be planted as trees hold water and reduce runoff.

Better ventilation system:

 More doors and windows can be installed to reduce dependency on artificial light and air.

Remedial Action Objectives

 Reduce maintenance cost.

 Help to meet Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Standards, Limitations, Criteria,
and Requirements.
 Helps to omission extra charges or fees.
 Ensure health and ecological safety.