KARACHI, Feb 22: The Adviser to Chief Minister on Environment, Alternate Energy and Information Technology, Noman Saigol, has directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency to send more samples of dead fish found on the Karachi coast for laboratory tests and submit its report in a week.

He issued the directives during a meeting with a delegation of fishermen at the EPA office in Korangi on Wednesday.

The fishermen informed the adviser about the losses caused to the fishing community and marine life due to the discharge of toxic effluents into the sea by tanneries and other chemical factories in the area.

The fishermen said that fish stocks, dying due to toxic effluents, continued to be washed ashore. That had resulted smell hazardous to human lives engulfing the entire area.

Saigol said that factories had been issued notices to install treatment plants within 15 days, adding that three to four factories had also been sealed for violating environment regulations.

He said further action would be taken after the EPA gets laboratory reports of dead fish samples.

Saigol asked the EPA to continue action against all factories that violate the law and discharge untreated toxic water into sewerage lines.

The Director EPA, Iqbal Saeed, Deputy Director (Monitoring) Ashfaque Hussain Pirzada and other officials were present.—PPI