KARACHI, Sept 7: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency is getting poor response from industries regarding the government scheme of self-monitoring and reporting of pollutants.
Sources in SEPA said that some three months back industries through their respective associations and chambers were approached to get themselves registered for “Self-monitoring and reporting tool (SMART)” so that a data on industrial effluents and gaseous emissions could be obtained regularly from them and compiled centrally.
“It is regrettable that we have, so far, received duly completed SMART forms from 10 industries only, including four those affiliated either with the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce or with the American Business Council of Pakistan,” informed the focal person for SMART at SEPA.
Under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act of 1997 and the decisions of Pakistan Environmental Council, it is now mandatory for industries both in the public and private sectors to get themselves registered with their respective provincial EPA for the implementation of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).
The legal basis for environment monitoring is provided in the Environmental Protection Act of 1997, under which the federal agency has been empowered to establish systems and procedures for surveys, surveillance, monitoring, measurement, examinations, investigation, research, inspection and audit to prevent and control pollution and to estimate the costs of cleaning up pollution and rehabilitating the environment in various sectors.
In the year 2002, about 23 industries from Sindh had volunteered for registration and subsequent submission of data on pollutants believed to be generated at their respective plants.
It is pertinent to note here that industries are the major source of pollution and environmental degradation. Only in June last, about eight persons died and several hundreds suffered due to water borne diseases, which according to scientists could be attributed to consumption of potable water mixed with domestic and industrial waste. Analysis of water samples drawn from different places in the city from time to time had revealed the high concentration of coliforms and heavy metals, including nickels in water.
It is also claimed by non-governmental organization and some environmental concerns that the five major industrial zones in Karachi, with 6,000 industries mostly located along coastal belt, generate enough pollution to make life difficult for people and marine life as well.
Talking about the SMART programme, Deputy Director Monitoring at SEPA Irfan Tonio said that the monitoring and data collection was initially carried out by the federal environmental agency, but later the provincial agencies had been assigned with the job.
According to him, recognizing the lack of experience and technical capacity in industries, the monitoring and reporting framework was made simple and practical.
He said that about 11 commerce and industry associations or chambers were requested to circulate the SMART registration forms amongst their respective member industries so that those could be submitted to SEPA for supply of SMART software.
Mr Tonio said that the industries had been divided into three categories in accordance with the international standards and practices, which would be required to submit records and data on periodic basis.
Admitting a very negligible feedback from industries, he mentioned that the SEPA was also considering to draw the attention of industries through ads in national dailies towards the issue.
He said that the self-monitoring and reporting scheme would prove helpful to mitigate the industrial pollution, as the SEPA could also provide all technical assistance and guidelines to industries and other manufacturers on request. He said that the industries avoiding or ignoring the need of registration and data supply could also face legal action.
However, sources in the industrial circle maintain that the alleged lack of interest among industries could be attributed to the absence of proper monitoring setup, which was required prior to the acquisition of SMART software and passing on the required information and data to the environmental agencies.
Before entering into any agreement with government agencies, industries will have either to establish their
own monitoring section or seek services of designated or reputed laboratories, which would surely cost extra to them.
On the other hand environmentalists said that the whole exercise, reportedly aimed to discipline the industries in view of the high pollution impacts and frequent toxicity of pollutants, required sheer willingness on the part of industries, otherwise, the cost of monitoring and laboratories tests was not so much high. Tests are simple and it is learnt that industries would have to spend an amount ranging from Rs400 to Rs5,000 per month, they added.
