Untreated industrial waste is flowing directly in to the second-largest fresh water lake of Pakistan and an important source of drinking water for Thatta and Karachi.
With the combined effluent treatment plant (CETP) of Kotri Industrial Area out of order, the factories are releasing toxic waste in Kalari Baghar Feeder Canal or KB Canal.
In a high-level meeting chaired by the CM's Adviser on Environment Barrister Murtaza Wahab it was decided that strict action would be taken against those who despite the availability of resources release their industrial effluent without treating it.
Read: SHC orders encroachments’ removal from Keenjhar
Wahab earlier received reports of contamination of Keenjhar Lake through the KB Feeder Canal of Kotri Industrial Area because of malfunctioning of CETP.
The meeting was attended by Industry and Commerce Secretary Riazud Din, Environment, Climate Change, and Coastal Development Secretary Aslam Ghauri, Kotri Assocoation of Trade and Industry Chairman Asif Memon, Karachi SITE MD Shehzad Fazal, and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) DG Naeem Mughal besides other officers concerned.
Wahab expressed concern over the rising industrial water pollution. Release of untreated effluent despite having a CETP was nothing but administrative negligence.
Environment Secretary Aslam Ghauri suggested that the treatment plant of Kotri Industrial Area be repaired immediately by the authorities concerned and the industries which are reluctant to avail the services of the treatment plant for a fee, strict action to be taken against them.
SEPA DG Naeem Mughal said that according to sections 11 and 14 of the SEPA Act 2014, it is strictly prohibited to spread any kind of pollution and violators will be fined millions of rupees daily as well as their business can also be shut down.
Mughal said that industries that have not yet had a combined effluent treatment plant in their area can be asked to install a treatment plant as soon as possible while taking a lenient view for the time being. But those industries which have the treatment plant but do not play their due role to maintain it and their effluent is found to be flowing directly into the water bodies, there is no justification for granting any concession to them.
Read more: Industrial waste requires urgent attention
It was decided in the meeting that if the Kotri treatment plant is repaired then its treated water will be used for better purposes.
Wahab directed the concerned authorities that the same water should be used to convert the relevant area into a green zone.
The Environment Adviser also directed the MD Site and DG SEPA to get the referred treatment plant repaired immediately by the concerned agencies.
On this occasion, the Kotri Association of Trade and Industry Chairman assured their cooperation with the regulator and the concerned departments.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2021.
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