Govt goes digital to combat pollution

The Sindh government has decided to introduce a Smart Surveillance System to monitor and mitigate environmental pollution, said the provincial Secretary Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department Agha Shah Nawaz on Wednesday.

Addressing the fifth major meeting on environment change, industrial pollution and coastal protection organised by FPCCI, Agha Shah Nawaz said the digitalisation is the need of the hour, and the department aims to launch an automated system within a year. The system will identify old, smoke-emitting vehicles and issue e-challans in coordination with the traffic police.

FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon expressed concern that while efforts are being made to boost exports, smaller factories can not afford wastewater treatment plants due to the high cost of doing business. He urged the government to form a comprehensive strategy to support them. "If we do not act now, we risk losing GSP+ status," he warned.

DG SEPA Waqar Hussain Phulpoto stressed that industrialists must fully comply with the Sindh Environmental Protection Act. He emphasised that industrial waste, particularly wastewater, should only be discharged after proper treatment and that hazardous waste must be incinerated through appropriate plants. He also noted that SEPA's vehicular emission campaign is ongoing and that monitoring of industrial vehicles will commence soon.

Environmental experts highlighted that the rapid destruction of mangroves due to water shortages is threatening marine life. Mangroves, they said, are vital for protecting marine biodiversity and shielding coastal areas from natural disasters.

Responding to these concerns, Secretary Agha Shah Nawaz said that discussions around marine life often ignore the harsh reality faced by coastal communities. "Fisher folk are suffering from hunger, disease, and unemployment," he said. "Severe water shortages in Sindh's coastal regions and the drying up of the delta have put human lives at risk. A 53 per cent reduction in water flow has been recorded at Kotri Barrage," he added. He proposed the formation of an emergency integrated committee comprising industrialists, experts, transporters, solid waste management bodies, and other stakeholders to devise an effective national strategy. He further stated that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a powerful tool that can drive coordinated environmental change, provided it is implemented sincerely.

The meeting was attended by DG SEPA Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, Director Natural Resources Imran Sabir, industrialists, transporters, environmental experts, and other stakeholders.