Hyderabad industries shut: SEPA plans to prevent canal’s pollution hit snags
Factories shut down earlier due to violation of environmental laws allegedly reopened
PHOTO: FILE
HYDERABAD:
Sindh Environment Protection Agency's (Sepa) action against industries polluting the environment turned out to be short-lasting.
After keeping three factories in Hyderabad SITE area shut for over a day, Sepa officials apparently succumbed to pressure and assurances and re-opened the closed units on Thursday.
The industrialists, who were surprised by the closure since Sepa had promised no action will be taken until the February 27 meeting between government officials and the SITE Association, rejoiced. "We assured them of submitting an undertaking by the three industries in a day or two after which the units were de-sealed," confirmed the association's chairperson Mian Aamir Shahab, who hosted a meeting with Sepa and district administration officials on Thursday.
Environment protection: Court directs chief secy to begin work on Ravi clean-up
The Dawn Bread, Rajput Brean and Haji Shafi Paper Mills, who were given the opportunity for personal hearings at Sepa on January 14 and then again on February 4, were among the factories that were shut down.
However, Sepa's regional director Munir Abbasi insisted that the units are still closed. "They can be opened only after Sepa approves the undertaking in which they will state that the in-house [waste] treatment systems will be installed in a specified period of time," he told The Express Tribune. "We have served Environmental Protection Orders to 25 units and all of them have agreed to submit the undertaking within a week."
In an earlier meeting between the industrialists, Hyderabad Commissioner Qazi Shahid Pervez and Sepa director-general Naeem Ahmed Mughal, the action was reportedly suspended till the February 27 meeting.
Grand plan
Sepa and the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation began a survey of the industries that are not equipped with in-house treatment facilities in December, 2015. Since then, over 150 industries have been issued notices for personal hearings under section 21(1) of the Sindh Environment Protection Act, 2014. Sepa refers a case to the environment tribunal if a violator continues to flout the laws. If convicted by the tribunal, the violators can end up paying up to Rs5 million in fines.
The district administration has set an ambitious plan to save the Phuleli canal from municipal and industrial solid and liquid waste. A large part of Hyderabad including SITE area discharges waste water and dumps solid waste in the canal, which supplies water to Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan and Badin districts. Sepa's action is part of the wider drive, which also includes removal of encroachment, solid and liquid waste disposal.
There are around 175 functional industries in Hyderabad SITE while 361 are registered with SITE, according to SITE Association's Shahab. The industries are under agreement with SITE, which leases land to set up the industries, to establish the treatment systems in each unit. "But it's like any formality which isn't even noticed when we submit maps for approval for the construction of the factories," he claimed.
Conflicting demands
"Sepa and the district administration asked us to install in-house treatment units in all the industries but we demanded that the government install a combined effluent treatment plant and a solid waste treatment plant in Hyderabad's SITE," said Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry's vice-president Ziauddin Ahmed.
During the initial meetings, the official and industrialists have tentatively agreed over the construction of a combined effluent treatment plant by the provincial government.
However, the solid and chemical waste disposal as well as the issues of air and noise pollution will have to be addressed by the industries, SEPA asserts.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2016.
Sindh Environment Protection Agency's (Sepa) action against industries polluting the environment turned out to be short-lasting.
After keeping three factories in Hyderabad SITE area shut for over a day, Sepa officials apparently succumbed to pressure and assurances and re-opened the closed units on Thursday.
The industrialists, who were surprised by the closure since Sepa had promised no action will be taken until the February 27 meeting between government officials and the SITE Association, rejoiced. "We assured them of submitting an undertaking by the three industries in a day or two after which the units were de-sealed," confirmed the association's chairperson Mian Aamir Shahab, who hosted a meeting with Sepa and district administration officials on Thursday.
Environment protection: Court directs chief secy to begin work on Ravi clean-up
The Dawn Bread, Rajput Brean and Haji Shafi Paper Mills, who were given the opportunity for personal hearings at Sepa on January 14 and then again on February 4, were among the factories that were shut down.
However, Sepa's regional director Munir Abbasi insisted that the units are still closed. "They can be opened only after Sepa approves the undertaking in which they will state that the in-house [waste] treatment systems will be installed in a specified period of time," he told The Express Tribune. "We have served Environmental Protection Orders to 25 units and all of them have agreed to submit the undertaking within a week."
In an earlier meeting between the industrialists, Hyderabad Commissioner Qazi Shahid Pervez and Sepa director-general Naeem Ahmed Mughal, the action was reportedly suspended till the February 27 meeting.
Grand plan
Sepa and the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation began a survey of the industries that are not equipped with in-house treatment facilities in December, 2015. Since then, over 150 industries have been issued notices for personal hearings under section 21(1) of the Sindh Environment Protection Act, 2014. Sepa refers a case to the environment tribunal if a violator continues to flout the laws. If convicted by the tribunal, the violators can end up paying up to Rs5 million in fines.
The district administration has set an ambitious plan to save the Phuleli canal from municipal and industrial solid and liquid waste. A large part of Hyderabad including SITE area discharges waste water and dumps solid waste in the canal, which supplies water to Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan and Badin districts. Sepa's action is part of the wider drive, which also includes removal of encroachment, solid and liquid waste disposal.
There are around 175 functional industries in Hyderabad SITE while 361 are registered with SITE, according to SITE Association's Shahab. The industries are under agreement with SITE, which leases land to set up the industries, to establish the treatment systems in each unit. "But it's like any formality which isn't even noticed when we submit maps for approval for the construction of the factories," he claimed.
Conflicting demands
"Sepa and the district administration asked us to install in-house treatment units in all the industries but we demanded that the government install a combined effluent treatment plant and a solid waste treatment plant in Hyderabad's SITE," said Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry's vice-president Ziauddin Ahmed.
During the initial meetings, the official and industrialists have tentatively agreed over the construction of a combined effluent treatment plant by the provincial government.
However, the solid and chemical waste disposal as well as the issues of air and noise pollution will have to be addressed by the industries, SEPA asserts.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2016.