KARACHI: Factory owner, manager held for boy’s death
By S. Raza Hassan
KARACHI, May 8: Police arrested on Monday the owner and the manager of the industrial unit suspected to have generated the toxic waste dumped at an open place in Site that caused the death of a boy and led to the loss of another `s leg.
At least four other children affected by the toxic waste are under treatment at the National Institute of Child Health. The children had strayed into the open dumping site while playing in the area
The secretary for environment, Iqbal Dewan, told Dawn that the arrests took place in the office of the Site Association of Trade and Industry, where Farooq Gharib, the owner of the Gharib and Sons Industries, confessed that his industrial unit was responsible for the generation of the toxic waste.
Mr Gharib said he was willing to pay compensation to the victims’ heirs.
However, he was arrested under the Qisas and Diyat law for which an FIR had been lodged by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) at the Site police station informing it of the death of Iftikhar, 9, and injuries to other children.
A senior police official of the Site Town accompanying the environment secretary arrested Farooq Gharib and his manager Aslam Baig.
Police said Mr Gharib took the plea that they were unaware of where the contractor was dumping the industrial waste. The Gharib Sons Industries manufacture chipboards.
According to the 1997 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, it is the responsibility of the polluter to ensure proper disposal of industrial waste.
Asked if the industrial unit had been sealed, Dewan Iqbal said as per law proper notification was required before sealing an industrial unit. He said he hoped the unit would be sealed in a day or two.
The allotment of the plot where the toxic waste was found dumped has been cancelled by the Site Association as according to the bylaws the plot was being misused. It was allotted to Mr Nehal, said an official of the Site Association.
The results of the lab test, for which samples had been sent to three different centres, which were due on Monday, are still awaited.
Apparently, the sludge or waste is strong acidic in nature and after ascertaining the exact name of the chemical substance or compound, we will be in a position to, at least, identify the industries which have been using or discharging such chemicals, said a senior official of Sepa.
Adviser to the chief minister on environment Noman Saigal on Monday morning visited the spot where the waste had been dumped. He later visited the Site police station and also to the hospital where the affected children were being treated, the secretary for environment said.
Earlier, doctors at the National Institute of Child Health said that in all four children of aged from seven to 10 were brought to the NICH on March 15 and 17. One of the patients, Iftikhar, died on April 28 while two others were discharged after they were treated over two weeks.
A 10-year boy, Shiraz, from Abidabad had been operated upon for amputation of his affected feet.
According area people, dumping of waste and garbage at the place in question had been going on for long but the hazardous material started to be added to the garbage only a few weeks back.
