The Supreme Court observed that severe damage that had been done to the residents living in proximate sectors and directed PAK-EPA to submit a report regarding this matter.
“The ‘online particulate matter monitors’ are meant to check the dust caused by these industries, which goes into the atmosphere and is damaging the health of residents,” said Asif Shuja DG, PAK-EPA while talking to The Express Tribune.
Previously, there had been discussion of shifting the factories to more remote areas, but both the owners and the Capital Development Authority had arrived at a stalemate as neither party was willing to invest the large capital required for the shift.
The case began in 1993 -Nasir Ahmed vs. the Government. There were several hearings in the past but nothing concrete ever came forward.
“Whenever the monitoring team of EPA would go to the site, the industries would switch on the anti pollution spray which dissolves the pollution.
However, keen monitoring took place for a week and a report was then submitted which clearly stated that the health of residents was being harmed due to this practice,” claimed Shuja.
The issue is that the furnace industries operating in the sectors are using poor quality scrap called “bundle scrap”- empty tins, paint boxes and rubber parts which are melted to produce billets, iron steel bars and rods.
The pollution created by this exercise is harmful. The particles that are released in the atmosphere contain heavy metals like lead, chromium, nickel, zinc and also some fumes of other chemicals. Shuja said that the wind could carry these hazardous imitations to any area of Islamabad.
The use of imported scrap, called ‘shredded,’ which is clean as compared to local scrap is more environment friendly, but is more expensive by around Rs6,000 -7,000 per ton. The imported scrap is also harder to attain.
Khalid Javed CEO Ittehad Steel mills said that there are 11 furnace/melting industries operating in the capital at the moment and all have been issued orders to shut down. Ittehad Steel Industries claim they are using imported scrap shredded and white bundle-which are the best quality environment friendly types.
“The Supreme Court has issued a general order for all industries to be shut. The ones that are using good quality material and are approved by the National Environment Quality should be exempt,” Javed said.
Approximately, 2000 people will lose their jobs if the order is carried out. All the industries are paying a monthly bill of Rs150 million and income tax of Rs100 million per month.
“There are more than 300 furnace-melting industries in Pakistan and it is discriminating to see the order being passed for just the ones operating in the capital,” Javed concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2010.
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