Activists and communities in Bangladesh are attempting to fight back against illegal battery recycling factories that are being blamed for widespread lead poisoning, with an estimated 35 million children exposed.
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00:0012-year-old Junaid Akhtar lives with neurological disorders and his growth
00:07has been stunted due to the toxic effects of exposure to lead.
00:13Akhtar's mother says her son was poisoned while playing near an illegal
00:17battery recycling factory in the hometown of Tangale in central Bangladesh.
00:21Junaid is one of 35 million children in the South Asian nation who have had dangerously
00:40high levels of lead exposure.
00:42The heavy metal is found in everything from household paint to turmeric.
00:48But environmentalists say the recent surge of illegal battery recycling operations fuelled
00:53by a growing demand for electric rickshaws is making the crisis worse.
01:01An estimated 80% of battery recycling in Bangladesh happens informally without proper safety measures.
01:08Environmental groups believe there may be up to 265 illegal sites operating across the
01:13country.
01:14There is no accountability of that sector to use high-quality batteries.
01:18So they are using low-quality 8 to 10-month longevity batteries.
01:22They are recycling it frequently and causing more pollution, lead pollution.
01:29The environmental impact is equally devastating.
01:33In Fulbaria, a village a few hours north of Dhaka, a Chinese-owned battery recycling plant
01:38is destroying local ecosystems.
01:41Pipes from the factory spewed acid and lead directly into rice paddies, turning one's
01:45fertile farmland barren.
01:47Pipes from the factory to the factory to the factory.
02:01Outraged communities are pushing for action, filing pollution complaints across several regions,
02:07leading to court-ordered shutdowns in some cases.
02:10However, residents say corruption often undermines these victories.
02:16Still activists are continuing to fight for stricter enforcement, hoping to protect more
02:20children like Janiad from paying the price of lead pollution.
02:25Dolphine Chen and Rosie Greninger for Taiwan Plus.