KARACHI: Ibad calls for action against factories polluting environment
KARACHI, March 14: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Wednesday called for identifying most hazardous factors in the industrial sector contributing to environmental degradation, and ordered initiation of action in this regard.
He issued the directive at a presentation given by the Environment and Alternative Energy Department at the Governor’s House.
He asked the department to assess the extent of pollution being caused by cement manufacturing industries and sugar mills, and recommend the equipment required for in-house control of pollution by the concerned industrial concerns so that the Labour and Industries Department could take up the issue with the industrialists.
Dr Ibad told the environment department to focus on safe drinking water across Sindh and guide the department concerned department in this respect.
He called for outsourcing the motor-vehicular testing system for the purpose of the issuance of fitness certificate and to check vehicular emission.
In order to control vehicular emission, negotiations be held with transporters in coordination with the city government, he advised.
He was of the view that the Environment and Alternative Energy Department should act as an advisory body, whereas implementation should be the responsibility of various other relevant departments, particularly the district governments.
For this purpose, he said, a new group of offices for Environment or a new office in the existing group of offices be set up to deal with environment-related issues at district level.
He called for creating awareness in people at large through the NGOs which were already active.
He stressed on utilising the laboratory facilities available at the Karachi University and private universities for conducting environmental tests in coordination with the environment department.
The governor also called for strict enforcement of the ordinance on the ban on plastic bags being implemented by the environment department and the city government in Karachi.
It was decided that the health department would initiate action in coordination with Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and the Pakistan Medical Association to enforce the hospital waste management rules, besides focusing on action against cement industries and sugar mills.
The labour and industries departments will provide all assistance in this regard and the concerned associations will extend support for the enforcement of National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS).
The local government department would give top priority to the Solid Waste Management Project and treatment of domestic waste water in the province and the environment department will set up its legal and prosecution branch while addressing the restructuring issue.
The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Adviser on Home Waseem Akhtar, Minister for Environment Dr Sagheer Ahmed, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary to the Governor Saleem Khan and Additional Chief Secretary Nazar Hussain Mahar, besides secretaries of industries, education, environment and health departments, special secretaries, DCO Karachi and other senior officials.—APP
