KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated judicial commission on water and sanitation on Monday directed the chairman of the Port Qasim Authority to ensure utilisation of a secondary treatment plant installed at the PQA to its optimum level and also examine the need for installing more plants to reduce the discharge of solid waste into the sea.

The head of the commission, retired apex court judge Amir Hani Muslim, gave these directives after a meeting with representatives of the Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry and the PQA chairman.

After discussion with the industrialists and the PQA chief, the commission said that in principle the industries, run by the BQATI, had agreed to install septic tanks or pre-treatment plants and/or soft tanks, as per the standards given in the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014.

Justice Muslim directed that the undersized sewerage lines needed to be replaced and the lines of bigger diameter, as and when required, should be laid within the areas. He further said that the sewerage lines for the proposed plants, which were being installed, were to be laid as tenders had been invited and the work should start after completing the formalities.

Judicial commission appreciates plan to initiate plantation

The commission noted that the representatives of the industries had serious concerns about water shortage. It directed Asif Hyder Shah to coordinate with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and make efforts to minimise the grievance of the PQA industries.

Plantation planned

PQA chairman Asad Rafi Chandna and the representatives of the industries also volunteered for initiating plantation within and outside the factories, which the commission remarked, would be a step forward for making the port green.

The commission observed that these steps would have a positive impact on the climate and the industrial waste and other sewerage waste, at present being discharged untreated into the sea, would be reduced substantially.

The commission was given an assurance by the industrialists as well as the PQA that treated water would be utilised for plantation within and outside the industries for which they would take steps on their own to see that the treated water should not be discharged into the sea and instead used to make the port green.

The commission ordered that the secondary treatment plant installed at the PQA be utilised to its optimum level and should also be updated by the PQA.

It further directed that the PQA also examine the need for the two other secondary treatment plants, which would cater to the need of two other zones — North West Industrial Zone and Eastern Zone — as the present treatment plant only took care of the South West Industrial Zone.

Industries given two months to install septic tanks

The commission also gave two months to the owners of eight industrial units to install septic tanks for the treatment of the hazardous industrial waste before its discharge into the sea and also warned them to face closure of their units in case of failure to comply with the directive.

It also issued bailable warrants for the arrest of the owners of two industrial units, who failed to turn up despite issuance of directives to them to appear.

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

During Monday’s proceedings, the owners of eight industrial units appeared on the commission’s directives.

Humaun Zaffar, president of M/s Textile Institute of Pakistan, said they had installed a septic tank, which was functional. However, Sepa officials said that the septic tank did not conform to the standards of the law.

The commission directed Dr Ghulam Murtaza of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources to visit the site and submit a report on whether the septic tank met the need. It told the factory’s president that in case the septic tank did not meet the need, either upgrade it or install a fresh one.

Justice Muslim directed that a copy of the report be provided to the owner with the directive that if the septic tank available met the standards, he was not required to take further steps, but if it did not meet the standards, either upgrade it or install a new one within two months. With this direction the commission discharged arrest warrants issued earlier for factory’s owner.

Bilal Mustafa, director of M/s New Bilal Tanker Transport Company, said they had a warehouse and did not run any other business such as washing tankers on their premises.

But the Sepa officials contended that they washed the tankers on the premises, therefore, they needed a primary treatment plant.

The commission directed Dr Murtaza to visit the site and submit a report to determine whether the owner required a primary treatment plant.

He was also asked to visit M/s Dalda Foods Private Limited, a manager of which, Waseem Khan, appeared before the commission after a week, and submit a report whether the organisation required a treatment plant.

Justice Muslim said that if according to the inspection report it was a requirement, then eventually the same should be installed within three months, failing which the unit would be sealed.

Arrest warrants

The commission was informed that arrest warrants had been served on M/s Mehmood/Imran Javed and M/s Marine Pride Shipping Trading Company, but no one appeared for them.

Therefore, the commission issued bailable arrest warrants for the two factories’ owners. It directed the SSP concerned to execute the arrest warrants through the area SHOs and ensure appearance of the defiant factories owners on July 23.

It granted two months’ time to M/s Rabia Iqbal for installing a septic tank in the factories and warned that in case of failure the unit would be sealed. It also told M/s Razzaq Basit Oil Industry Private Limited, M/s Terminal One Private Limited, M/s I: Puri Terminal Private Limited to install septic tanks within two months. It also directed Ahmed Sonija, the owner of M/s Magnetic International, to make factory’s septic tank functional within two months.

The commission also heard the chairman of the Fishermen Cooperative Society and managing director of the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority. Asif Hyder Shah, the focal person for the Karachi Task Force, also gave some feedback.

Justice Muslim remarked that there was serious mutual distrust between the KFCS and the KFHA on the issues with regard to the agreement.

He observed that the chief secretary was aware of the object of the commission, which inter alia was to see that no discharge of solid and liquid waste into the sea took place.

Besides, he added, it was the assignment of the commission that it should ensure that an environment-friendly atmosphere was created on the seashore.

“At present, the seashores are full of filth on account of multifarious factors, which needed to be attended [to] immediately,” said the commission, adding that the KFCS chairman and KFHA MD and DG of Fisheries Sindh had their independent grievances, which were interlinked and needed to be resolved.

It directed the chief secretary of Sindh to convene a meeting of the stakeholders within a week to provide a way forward so that the commission could submit a report to the apex court on the issue.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018