KARACHI, June 20: Federal minister for environment, local government and rural development, Barrister Shahida Jamil, on Thursday said the government was considering increase in pollution charges on industrialists, though it would not be enforced but implemented after consultations with them.

She stated this while speaking at a workshop on “Environment Matters” organized by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI) in Karachi.

Referring to pollutants and hazardous substances she said the government’s principal objective in the field of waste management was to ensure that pollution of air, water and soil was avoided wherever possible and waste was disposed of without creating any health and environmental risks.

“Besides, it is also endeavouring to minimnize inconvenience to the public caused by disposal operations and encouraging use of reclamation and re-use of disposal operations,” she added.

Barrister Shahida Jamil observed that at present there were many industries which used or were planning to use secondary materials in the production process to improve cost effectiveness of the production process and thus contribute positively and significantly to the environmentally compatible utilization of these materials. She said that government planned to introduce environmental studies from the primary level of education and later extend it to colleges and universities.

The minister assured that the government was ready to join hands with multinationals for cleaner production, waste minimization and waster recycling centres.

Earlier, Farooq Rahmatullah, chairman of the Chambers’ standing subcommittee on environment, presented the welcome address.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Sindh secretary environment and forest, Shams ul Haq Memon, and director-general (DG), Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Asif Shuja Khan.—APP