KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated commission on water and sanitation in the province on Friday issued warrants for the owners of two seafood processing plants located at Karachi Fish Harbour over their absence.

The head of the commission, retired apex court judge Amir Hani Muslim, also warned five other owners that if their units required septic tanks, then they have to install the same within two months or face closure of their units.

On July 2, the commission had visited the Karachi and Korangi fish harbours along with relevant officials and summoned the owners of all fish processing plants, situated at Karachi Fish Harbour, on July 6 for not maintaining required standards and improper disposal of solid waste and also directed Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) to inspect these units.

Plants in question have not allowed access to Sepa officials for inspection

At the outset, most of the owners or their representatives turned up before the commission on Friday, but the owners of two seafood processing firms neither appeared nor allowed access to the Sepa officials for inspection.

The commission issued non-bailable warrants of Rs10,000 each against them for procuring their attendance on Saturday and directed the SSP to serve warrants through the SHO concerned.

The owners and representatives of five processing units appeared and contended that they have not stopped Sepa officials from inspecting their premises.

Justice Muslim directed the Sepa officials to visit these units and submit reports regarding whether septic tanks have been installed at the units or not and warned that if the owners were required to put the tanks in place then they have to do it within two months or else the units will be sealed.

The commission also ordered the owners and management of over 25 other processing units to ensure that their septic tanks were clean and functioning in conformity with the standards under the environmental law and effectively operational.

It also asked Sepa to submit reports in this regard within a week.

The owner of a unit has challenged a report of Sepa officials that septic tanks were not installed at the premises and contented that two tanks have already been installed.

The commission asked Dr Ghulam Murtaza of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources to visit the unit and submit report within three days whether septic tanks were available and functioning in the premises of processing unit.

It warned that if the report of Sepa officials was found wrong, the secretary environment will have to proceed departmentally against them.

After the visit, the commission had deplored that the Karachi Fish Harbour was full of filth and garbage and directed the authorities concerned to immediately take measures to clean it.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2018