Industrialists of the SITE Association of Industry (SAI) have denounced the repeated cancellation of meetings of the project steering committee for the combined effluent treatment plant (CETP) and have called for swift initiation of the project, which is necessary for getting export orders.
SAI President Riazuddin, in a statement, decried the postponement of the steering committee huddle, which was required to discuss the setting up of CETP in the industrial zone and supply of 65 million gallons per day (MGD) of water. The meeting was cancelled for the fifth time on November 21, 2022.
“For the past several years, we have been facing the problem of waste disposal and water shortage,” SITE industrial area-based industrialist Muhammad Raza told The Express Tribune. “We are purchasing water every day through tankers as well as from private suppliers, which adds a huge cost to our finished products.”
Waste disposal inflicted a huge cost on the industry and it was unbearable, therefore, the Sindh government should take immediate measures to resolve the issues for the survival of the industry and to reduce the cost of production, he emphasised.
“The importance of both the projects cannot be denied; the CETP is not only critical for compliance with export conditions, but also due to its impact on the environment,” said the SAI president.
Similarly, water supply is the lifeline for the water-starved industries in Karachi.
SAI Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh stated that the project steering committee had been formed by the Sindh government to review the progress on the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (S-III), establishing the CETP and additional 65 MGD of water supply.
“Work can be started immediately as land for setting up the CETP is already available. However, the Sindh government’s indifference is delaying things indefinitely,” he lamented.
“At the same time, the aggravating civic amenities are bothering the residents of the megacity,” remarked Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) President Zulfikar Thaver. “The more the delay, the more the increase in cost,” he said.
Multinational companies needed strict compliance with the industrial safety, environmental and workplace hygiene standards, Thaver said, adding that they simply refused orders if those conditions were compromised.
He asked the Sindh government to give priority to the water, gas and electricity requirements of the big and small industries and facilitate them in their smooth functioning.
“We have failed to understand the neglect on the part of the Sindh government and urge Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to take steps for putting the two projects on a fast track.”
The SITE Association has written a letter to the Planning and Development Board chairman, emphasising that the CETP and water supply projects should be finalised in the steering committee meeting for their implementation.
“It has been three years since the last steering committee meeting that was held on October 8, 2019,” the SAI chief recalled. “Due to the inordinate delay, project costs are increasing every year, putting an extra burden on the government exchequer.”
SITE leaders demanded that the Sindh CM take immediate notice of the matter and order early execution of both the projects, which were critical for exports and a lifeline for the industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2022.
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