Sialkot industries re-open with a clean slate
SIALKOT:
After the success of the ‘Cleaner Production Techniques’ (CPT) project in Sialkot’s tanning and leather industry, the Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA), Small And Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) have decided to introduce the project in Sialkot’s export-oriented sports goods and surgical industries.
Gujranwala’s metal finishing industry, Gujrat’s fan industry and Wazirabad’s cutlery industry are also candidates for the CPT trial programme. The aim of the efforts is to enhance the collective production of these industries, besides, purging the upgrading the existing set up to meet global challenges under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines.
President of the Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Anwar Butt told reporters that the introduction of CPT into the industry had become necessary for the survival of these industries in the international market. “The federal ministries of industries and commerce will supervise and monitor this expanded phase of the CPT project,” he said, adding that this would improve the industries’ performance after the project was completed.
Earlier, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the government of Norway jointly launched a grand project to set up a Cleaner Production Center (CPC) under the management of the PGMEA. Butt said that the main objective of this project was to control the indiscriminate discharge of potentially harmful solid waste and heavily polluted wastewater and reduce production / treatment costs. The PGMEA president stated that the CPT project had met with great success and yielded an overall 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the tanneries’ pollution load. He said that the PGMEA had introduced the CPT initiative by establishing an analytical testing laboratory, physical testing laboratory, chrome recovery plant and information center (advisory / extension services) at the Cleaner Production Center in Sialkot. “We also conducted a detailed study on Women’s development projects, child labor and tanning chemicals in the leather industry,” he said.
Muhammad Anwar Butt said that the CPC Sialkot extended technical assistance to several tanneries in the district. “Our aim is eliminate solid waste dumping and minimise smoke emissions,” he said, adding that the process also focused on the conservation of water by installing water flow meters to reduce effluent water load. The CPC also ensured the installation of dust collectors in the buffing machine to curb buffing dust
He said that the CPC also set up a chrome recovery plant to recover chrome deposits from spent chrome liquors, besides, establishing an environmental laboratory to facilitate tanners in analysing tannery effluents. A physical testing laboratory was also set up to check the physical properties of leather.
Butt said that CP training programs were being conducted for the promotion of CP techniques in the tanning industry, adding that the CPC had also established an information centre to provide technical information about the latest technological leather processing and spread awareness regarding solid waste management systems for tanneries, besides, introducing a gender empowerment program in the leather industry. “We are working to revolutionise the way industries operate in Pakistan. The CPT method aims at encouraging a green revolution in how Pakistan does business,” he said. The PGMEA president added that CPT had shown an overall 30 to 40 per cent reduction in tanneries pollution load including a 10 per cent reduction in the use of chemicals, 25 per cent reduction in water use, 20 per cent reduction in waste production and 20 to 30 per cent reduction in treatment costs.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2010.
After the success of the ‘Cleaner Production Techniques’ (CPT) project in Sialkot’s tanning and leather industry, the Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA), Small And Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) have decided to introduce the project in Sialkot’s export-oriented sports goods and surgical industries.
Gujranwala’s metal finishing industry, Gujrat’s fan industry and Wazirabad’s cutlery industry are also candidates for the CPT trial programme. The aim of the efforts is to enhance the collective production of these industries, besides, purging the upgrading the existing set up to meet global challenges under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines.
President of the Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Anwar Butt told reporters that the introduction of CPT into the industry had become necessary for the survival of these industries in the international market. “The federal ministries of industries and commerce will supervise and monitor this expanded phase of the CPT project,” he said, adding that this would improve the industries’ performance after the project was completed.
Earlier, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the government of Norway jointly launched a grand project to set up a Cleaner Production Center (CPC) under the management of the PGMEA. Butt said that the main objective of this project was to control the indiscriminate discharge of potentially harmful solid waste and heavily polluted wastewater and reduce production / treatment costs. The PGMEA president stated that the CPT project had met with great success and yielded an overall 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the tanneries’ pollution load. He said that the PGMEA had introduced the CPT initiative by establishing an analytical testing laboratory, physical testing laboratory, chrome recovery plant and information center (advisory / extension services) at the Cleaner Production Center in Sialkot. “We also conducted a detailed study on Women’s development projects, child labor and tanning chemicals in the leather industry,” he said.
Muhammad Anwar Butt said that the CPC Sialkot extended technical assistance to several tanneries in the district. “Our aim is eliminate solid waste dumping and minimise smoke emissions,” he said, adding that the process also focused on the conservation of water by installing water flow meters to reduce effluent water load. The CPC also ensured the installation of dust collectors in the buffing machine to curb buffing dust
He said that the CPC also set up a chrome recovery plant to recover chrome deposits from spent chrome liquors, besides, establishing an environmental laboratory to facilitate tanners in analysing tannery effluents. A physical testing laboratory was also set up to check the physical properties of leather.
Butt said that CP training programs were being conducted for the promotion of CP techniques in the tanning industry, adding that the CPC had also established an information centre to provide technical information about the latest technological leather processing and spread awareness regarding solid waste management systems for tanneries, besides, introducing a gender empowerment program in the leather industry. “We are working to revolutionise the way industries operate in Pakistan. The CPT method aims at encouraging a green revolution in how Pakistan does business,” he said. The PGMEA president added that CPT had shown an overall 30 to 40 per cent reduction in tanneries pollution load including a 10 per cent reduction in the use of chemicals, 25 per cent reduction in water use, 20 per cent reduction in waste production and 20 to 30 per cent reduction in treatment costs.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2010.