Zoning for safety: Some factories may be moved to Sundar Estate
Operation soon against 50 ironing units in Sheranwala Gate.
LAHORE:
Some of the factories operating in residential areas may be moved to newly-acquired land acquired in the Sundar Industrial Estate, an Industries Department official speaking on anonymity told The Express Tribune.
A decision in this respect may be taken in 10 days.
Punjab Industrial Estate chairman SM Tanveer told The Express Tribune they had bought 85 acres of land for the Sundar Industrial Estate. “Out of this, 50 acres has been reserved to accommodate industrial units that shall be moved out of residential areas,” he said.
Industries, Commerce and Investment secretary Dr Shujat Ali said a comprehensive survey of the industries operating in residential areas in the Punjab had been completed. “The survey has provided us accurate data…a provincial committee will decide the framework to deal with them in next eight to ten days,” he said.
He said it was not easy to relocate industries. “Relocation is a gradual process…even six months may be quite hard depending on the size of an industrial unit,” he said. He said the factories asked first to relocate will be those that pose the greatest threat. He said factories which produce paints, chemicals, plastics and rubber and those with unsecured high pressure vessels were the most dangerous.
According to the survey report, seen by The Tribune, there are 11,000 factories in residential areas across the province.
It says 7,750 of these factories are in Lahore, 1,463 in Gujranwala, 338 in Faisalabad, 283 in Multan, 87 in Kasur and 86 in Sialkot. It says 4,500 of the factories in Lahore are cottage industries.
An Industries Department official speaking on condition of anonymity said the provincial committee includes the Home secretary, the Industries secretary, the Labour secretary and the local government secretary. He said they would select between 100 and 500 factories to be moved to Sundar Industrial Estate in the first phase.
Action against illegal boilers
Action will be taken against 50 ironing units in the Sheranwala Gate and Kashmiri Gate within the next few days. The units use low quality boilers.
Chief Inspector (Boilers) Nawaz Cheema told The Express Tribune the said the units put workers at risk.
There are around 817 units using boilers in residential areas in the province. The law does not prohibit the use of boilers. Only factories using boilers obtained from unregistered companies or those who avoided third party inspections have not been conducted have been served notices to close down.
As many as 324 of the units are using substandard boilers, out of which 77 are in Lahore, 98 in Gujranwala, 121 in Faisalabad, 25 in Multan and 3 in Rawalpindi. Boilers are used in shoemaking, rice processing, rubber, food, paper and pharmaceuticals and for steam press. Most of the units using illegal boilers in Lahore are located at Sheranwala Gate, Multan Road, Bund Road, Shahdra and Ferozepur Road.
An Industries Department official speaking on anonymity said 50 ironing units at Sheranwala Gate had been served three notices to shut the units within a week. He said the deadline had now passed.
Week deadline
DCO Noorul Amin Mengal said on Friday a seven-day deadline had been set for owners of industrial units to complete the installation of fire safety.
He said the units found violating the order will be sealed. Mengal was chairing a meeting on industrial units at Town Hall on Friday evening.
The meeting was also attended by MPA Salman Rafique and MPA Sajjad Haider Dara.
He said 85 per cent of industrial units in residential areas were operating without the required safety measures. “Over 350 units are considered dangerous,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2012.
Some of the factories operating in residential areas may be moved to newly-acquired land acquired in the Sundar Industrial Estate, an Industries Department official speaking on anonymity told The Express Tribune.
A decision in this respect may be taken in 10 days.
Punjab Industrial Estate chairman SM Tanveer told The Express Tribune they had bought 85 acres of land for the Sundar Industrial Estate. “Out of this, 50 acres has been reserved to accommodate industrial units that shall be moved out of residential areas,” he said.
Industries, Commerce and Investment secretary Dr Shujat Ali said a comprehensive survey of the industries operating in residential areas in the Punjab had been completed. “The survey has provided us accurate data…a provincial committee will decide the framework to deal with them in next eight to ten days,” he said.
He said it was not easy to relocate industries. “Relocation is a gradual process…even six months may be quite hard depending on the size of an industrial unit,” he said. He said the factories asked first to relocate will be those that pose the greatest threat. He said factories which produce paints, chemicals, plastics and rubber and those with unsecured high pressure vessels were the most dangerous.
According to the survey report, seen by The Tribune, there are 11,000 factories in residential areas across the province.
It says 7,750 of these factories are in Lahore, 1,463 in Gujranwala, 338 in Faisalabad, 283 in Multan, 87 in Kasur and 86 in Sialkot. It says 4,500 of the factories in Lahore are cottage industries.
An Industries Department official speaking on condition of anonymity said the provincial committee includes the Home secretary, the Industries secretary, the Labour secretary and the local government secretary. He said they would select between 100 and 500 factories to be moved to Sundar Industrial Estate in the first phase.
Action against illegal boilers
Action will be taken against 50 ironing units in the Sheranwala Gate and Kashmiri Gate within the next few days. The units use low quality boilers.
Chief Inspector (Boilers) Nawaz Cheema told The Express Tribune the said the units put workers at risk.
There are around 817 units using boilers in residential areas in the province. The law does not prohibit the use of boilers. Only factories using boilers obtained from unregistered companies or those who avoided third party inspections have not been conducted have been served notices to close down.
As many as 324 of the units are using substandard boilers, out of which 77 are in Lahore, 98 in Gujranwala, 121 in Faisalabad, 25 in Multan and 3 in Rawalpindi. Boilers are used in shoemaking, rice processing, rubber, food, paper and pharmaceuticals and for steam press. Most of the units using illegal boilers in Lahore are located at Sheranwala Gate, Multan Road, Bund Road, Shahdra and Ferozepur Road.
An Industries Department official speaking on anonymity said 50 ironing units at Sheranwala Gate had been served three notices to shut the units within a week. He said the deadline had now passed.
Week deadline
DCO Noorul Amin Mengal said on Friday a seven-day deadline had been set for owners of industrial units to complete the installation of fire safety.
He said the units found violating the order will be sealed. Mengal was chairing a meeting on industrial units at Town Hall on Friday evening.
The meeting was also attended by MPA Salman Rafique and MPA Sajjad Haider Dara.
He said 85 per cent of industrial units in residential areas were operating without the required safety measures. “Over 350 units are considered dangerous,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2012.