KARACHI, May 3: Stakeholders of the Korangi Industrial Area, speaking at a public hearing of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the proposed Korangi Creek Industrial Park (KCIP) on Thursday, apprehended that development and commissioning of the industrial park stretched over 240 acres could result in deterioration of civic conditions and utility services, besides affecting environment of the surrounding localities and creating hazards for the communities in the creek area.
Some of the stakeholders maintained that in a situation where the population of the project areas was already experiencing various inconveniences and health hazards, execution of another industrial scheme at the proposed site would only add to their troubles.
The issue of change of land-use was also raised, and it was noted that industrial units were being established in an area not earmarked for such a purpose and that too without the approval of the Sindh government.
Responding to the queries and reservations expressed by the participants of the hearing, representatives of the proponents of the project — the National Industrial Parks and Management Company (NIP) — said that the proposed site for the KCIP project had first been allotted to the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation.
The NIP had been tasked by the federal government to develop industrial parks across the country and had been given land to develop plots for various commercial and industrial purposes, including small and medium enterprises, and sell it to investors, said one of the representatives of the proponent institution.
The KCIP site is located next to the southern coastal belt of Karachi near Gizri and Korangi creek, bounded by the Pakistan Refinery Limited in the east and Korangi nullah in the west. A residential area, Bhittai Colony, is also situated on its northern side across the Korangi nullah.
The industrial units expected to be established on the project site include light engineering, textile garments, leather products, food processing, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery and information technology clusters.
Referring to the existing water supply and sewerage system in the Korangi industrial and coastal areas, a senior KWSB official said that the proponents would need to have a clear idea of their future requirements and deficient amenities.
They should go for an enhanced supply of water and improvement of the sewerage system which had already been damaged due to irresponsible practices, mainly by industrialists, in the area, he added. In a situation where the KWSB was already finding it difficult to serve the existing industrial and residential areas along the coastal belt, it was unlikely that the proposed industrial units would be served efficiently, he maintained.
Some speakers criticised the KCIP for its proposed disposal of domestic wastewater directly into the existing storm water drain or nullah leading to the creeks. The proponents stated that a mechanism would be in place to make the individual units have some in-house treatment arrangement and discharge their effluents after ensuring their treatment. Before finding their way into the storm water drains, the effluents would also pass through the central effluent treatment plant of the KCIP, they added.
A concerned citizen expressed the view that disposal of any type of wastewater into the sea or creek might contribute to the degradation of mangroves.
Mangroves were already exposed to a higher level of salinity in the creek water owing to a reduction in freshwater input from the Indus, commented a conservationist.
Another speaker pointed out that population around the project site would be adversely affected by emissions and discharge from industrial units. Furthermore, increased traffic movement and congestion on narrow roads had already become a major source of concern.
The KCIP proponents replied that they too anticipated this problem to aggravate but not only had they talked to the Korangi Cantonment Board authorities on the subject but also provided a considerable amount for the widening of the Korangi Road.
In his concluding remarks, the Director-General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, Abdul Malik Ghauri, said that all concerns expressed by the stakeholders and relevant comments would be examined by the agency to reach a decision about accepting or rejecting the project.
Chief Executive of NIP Zubair Habib told Dawn that the KCIP management took responsibility of ensuring prevention of any environmental degradation, adding that at no stage it would compromise on the health and safety of the population around the project site. He also pledged steps for the people’s social welfare. The project would kick off only after obtaining a no-objection from Sepa, he added.
