HYDERABAD, Dec 28: Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Environment and Alternate Energy Noman Saigal has said that India is ready to sign a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan to jointly work on research on environment issues in the two countries.

Talking to this correspondent here on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan's environmental policy had been finalized with an emphasis on the role of each province, which would be shortly made public.

The adviser had attended a conference on 'Better air quality' in Agra in the second week of December and met the chairman of the Environment Control Board of India. Mr Saigal said that he had also met the World Bank officials in India who were inclined to provide funds of $5 to 10 million to Pakistan for controlling air pollution.

However, he added, they were concerned about frequent change of government and funds lapse in the country. He said that the Philippine-based Clean Air Initiative had undertaken to include Karachi in the list of air pollution generating city and added that 75 per cent of pollution in the world was related to air.

He said that he had briefed the federal environment minister about his deliberations with the Indian officials. "The EPA is trying to collect data regarding smoke-emitting vehicles in Sindh and letters, seeking details of the vehicles, have been sent to the authorities concerned so that a standard can be set for smoke emission", he said.

Besides air, he argued, water pollution was another major issue in Sindh for which efforts were under way to collect data of stakeholders as well as quality of water. He further said that donors were interested in giving grants for curbing water pollution but unfortunately the issue had not been given importance in their society.

He said that the Environment Protection Agency also intended to get data regarding water filter and treatment plants to know what quality of water was available to people in the country where even so-called mineral water was not fit for consumption as per required standards. He asserted the prime minister had shown concern over environmental issues.