Rahoo orders stern action against polluters

Rahoo orders stern action against polluters

Rahoo orders stern action against polluters

KARACHI: Taking notice of widespread concerns regarding growing marine pollution and solid waste issues, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development (ECC&CD) Muhammad Islamil Rahoo held a review meeting out of the blue of ECC&CC Department, Government of Sindh and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency.

Additional Chief Secretary ECC&CD Department Muhammad Hassan Iqbal, DG SEPA Naeem Ahmed Mughal, Special Secretary Ahmed Sultan Khoso and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

Minister for Environment inquired them of latest position of installation of treatment plants in industries of Sindh and also status of collection and disposal of solid waste from Karachi.

He was briefed that a total ten thousand industries operate in Sindh out of them four thousand release effluent while two hundred installed their own treatment plant at the behest of SEPA. This number is other than those industries which subscribe the treatment services of two combine effluent treatment plants; one each at Korangi tanneries and Kotri industrial area.

He was also informed that a total 14000 tons solid waste is generated daily from Karachi out of which Sindh Solid Waste Management board safely dispose of 9,500 wastes daily at Jam Chakro and Govind Pass landfill sites.

Ismail Rahoo was told that most of the industries express their inability to install individual treatment plant within their premises owing to limited space and therefore demand for combine effluent treatment plant.

It was decided in the meeting that status would be ascertained of three proposed combined effluent treatment plants to be installed at different industrial areas of Karachi by industries department and all possible technical help may be provided by SEPA on this score.

Minister also directed SEPA to flex up its regulatory muscles and boost the environmental monitoring throughout Sindh. He said that genuine excuses may be heard but lame excuses with regard to installation of individual treatment plan may be turned down outrightly because no one is above the law.

Minister for Environment was also informed about air quality position of Karachi and told that majority of the areas' air pollution level is alarming except a few areas of district South. In this regard, Minister directed SEPA to aggrandize its vehicular emission monitoring and also direct industries to put up least smoke-emitting chimneys to control air contamination.