KARACHI, March 25: The Minister of State for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development, Major Tahir Iqbal, on Tuesday underlined the need for making the combined effluent treatment plant for Korangi tanneries viable.
Speaking at a meeting of the representatives of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, the Export Promotion Bureau and the City Government, the minister said that a lot of amount had already been spent on construction of the treatment plant and this money should not go waste.
He underlined the need for coordinated efforts among all stake-holders and decided to resolve all issues creating hurdles in the commissioning of the project.
The minister asked the authorities to work out the cost for installation of primary treatment plants for recovery of chromium, which would be installed by tanneries on their premises. He said the chromium extraction plant would be beneficial for industries.
He, however, cautioned that due to World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime for environment-friendly export, the tanneries should follow all requirements.
Earlier, the DG SEPA, Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, briefed the meeting about the treatment plant.
He said the main objective of the plant was to treat both industrial and municipal pollution being discharged in the sea.
About 170 small and larger tanneries are working in Korangi Industrial area, and they are discharging effluent in the city.
The capacity of this treatment plant is 43,000 cubic meters and its total cost is Rs 500 million, which would be borne by the EPB from Export Development Fund, the Sindh and the City governments and the Pakistan Tanners Association.
Mr Khoso said that about 80 per cent of the civil work, 50 per cent of mechanical works and 31 per cent electric works have been completed and out of total cost of Rs 500, an amount of Rs 276.42 had been received.
He said that the EPB had committed to provide Rs 334 million and out of which Rs 187.85 had been paid.
The PTA had committed Rs 144 million and out of that 66.57 have been paid. The Sindh Government had provided the land worth Rs 22 million.
He said the main hurdle to the commissioning of the plant was shortage of funds and creation of an affectees group, comprising about 43 tanneries, which are demanding revision of recovery formula.
A representative of the EPB also briefed the minister of the role of the EPB in this project.
DCO Mir Hussain Ali and secretary Aslam Sanjrani also attended the meeting.—APP
