KARACHI, Feb 21: Residents of the old city areas in the Saddar and Lyari towns have urged the city government to shift illegal factories and industrial units from their areas and demanded imposition of a strict ban on warehousing facility in the locality.
According to them, these industrial units work day and night and are causing noise pollution and other environment related problems, exposing people to serious health hazards.
NGO and CBO activists say hundreds of illegal factories and small industrial units have been established in the congested areas of the Lyari and Saddar towns in utter violation of the municipal laws as operation of such units are not allowed in residential areas.
Though many of them got licences from the municipal authorities for carrying out their business by greasing the palms of the authorities, there are many cases where owners have not even bothered to get permission or pay municipal taxes.
Cheap labour and availability of warehousing facilities in these areas are some of the main reasons for the massive growth of these industrial units, says a CBO representative.
According to him, a large number of teenagers are working in these units without any agreement or facility and their services can be terminated without any prior notice.
A survey shows that a number of factories established in these congested areas with the connivance of the authorities, produce plastic-made goods, substandard soaps, spices, confectionary items, locally made tobacco and chemical items.
In the residential areas of Rangiwara, Singoo Lane, Usmanabad and its adjoining areas, cotton, wool-ginning and steel moulding factories are being operated despite expiry of lease period of the land.
Expressing concern over the environmental degradation, an NGO activist say the situation has further deteriorated because of the availability of warehousing facilities and establishment of auto-workshops.
The residents have also complained that most of the old warehousing units had been granted temporary leases as far back as the 40s and the 50s by the then collectorate.
Despite their protest, they said the lease period of these plots were extended and they continued to operate on account of high connections.
They said these plots could have been used for amenity purposes as there was a dire need of such plots.
Community leaders and NGO representatives have urged the city government to take a serious note of environment degradation and pollution caused by the industrial units set up in the congested localities in old city areas.
