Wahab urges citizens to help implement plastic ban in Sindh
He warns of action against factories flouting environment protection laws
PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
The Chief Minister's Adviser on Law, Environment, Climate change and Coastal Development Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that citizens should support the provincial government in the implementation of the ban on plastic bags.
Speaking on the occasion of 'World Habitat Day', Wahab said that it was not possible to impose any restriction without the cooperation of the people.
He requested citizens to voluntarily avoid the use of plastic bags for the betterment of the environment, adding that with a little effort, we could get used to using cloth and paper bags.
The World Habitat Day is observed on October 7 each year. The idea is to raise awareness among people about cities and villages and convince them to make their surroundings sustainable. This year, the theme of World Habitat Day is "Technology is the advanced way to convert garbage into wealth" (Kachra ko dolat main badalna ka lia technology aik jadeed tariqa ha).
Barrister Wahab also warned the factories involved in polluting the environment, especially those melting tyres and batteries for wires, to avoid flouting environmental laws or else strict action would be taken by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) against them.
SEPA’s raids
Meanwhile, a team of SEPA officials raided illegal workshops that were melting battery lead in Ittehad Town. The lead-in batteries is melted over fire in an open area at these workshops. The process is severely affecting the health of people in the surroundings and also polluting the environment, said SEPA.
The team, headed by SEPA Deputy Director Waris Ali Gabol, sealed several workshops that were extracting lead out of the batteries. A police party was also present with the team during the operation.
According to SEPA officials, none of the sealed workshops were registered with SEPA and all of them were being run illegally. These workshops were openly violating environmental laws.
The complaints regarding the offence were received from the citizens through the PM's citizen portal.
SEPA officials said that the pollution spread through extracting the lead out of batteries is extremely poisonous for health.
Barrister Wahab said that several mafias are involved in this illegal business and they are playing with the lives of people.
"This business is seriously injurious to health and the people who are in this business are damaging their own health too," said Wahab.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2019.
The Chief Minister's Adviser on Law, Environment, Climate change and Coastal Development Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that citizens should support the provincial government in the implementation of the ban on plastic bags.
Speaking on the occasion of 'World Habitat Day', Wahab said that it was not possible to impose any restriction without the cooperation of the people.
He requested citizens to voluntarily avoid the use of plastic bags for the betterment of the environment, adding that with a little effort, we could get used to using cloth and paper bags.
The World Habitat Day is observed on October 7 each year. The idea is to raise awareness among people about cities and villages and convince them to make their surroundings sustainable. This year, the theme of World Habitat Day is "Technology is the advanced way to convert garbage into wealth" (Kachra ko dolat main badalna ka lia technology aik jadeed tariqa ha).
Barrister Wahab also warned the factories involved in polluting the environment, especially those melting tyres and batteries for wires, to avoid flouting environmental laws or else strict action would be taken by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) against them.
SEPA’s raids
Meanwhile, a team of SEPA officials raided illegal workshops that were melting battery lead in Ittehad Town. The lead-in batteries is melted over fire in an open area at these workshops. The process is severely affecting the health of people in the surroundings and also polluting the environment, said SEPA.
The team, headed by SEPA Deputy Director Waris Ali Gabol, sealed several workshops that were extracting lead out of the batteries. A police party was also present with the team during the operation.
According to SEPA officials, none of the sealed workshops were registered with SEPA and all of them were being run illegally. These workshops were openly violating environmental laws.
The complaints regarding the offence were received from the citizens through the PM's citizen portal.
SEPA officials said that the pollution spread through extracting the lead out of batteries is extremely poisonous for health.
Barrister Wahab said that several mafias are involved in this illegal business and they are playing with the lives of people.
"This business is seriously injurious to health and the people who are in this business are damaging their own health too," said Wahab.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2019.