FAISALABAD: The government is forcing industrialists to run their units on alternative fuel during gas cuts while the environment department is not allowing them to energise machinery with coal and wood without installing gadgets to control smoke.

The recent action against smoke-emitting units has forced the entrepreneurs to spend millions of rupees on the installation of latest gadgetry like cyclones, wet scrubbers and dust collectors. Cyclones are used in boilers and scrubbers and dust collectors help minimise the hazards of smoke and dust.

The environment department had recently issued notices to 72 industrial units -- 14 textile mills, two chemical units, 17 foundries, a spinning mill, 11 sizing units, a dyeing factory and 25 flour mills. These are situated on Khurrianwala-Jaranwala, Sahianwala, Sargodha and Maqbool roads, at Small Industrial Estate, Naurangabad, Pensra, Samundri Road, Nishatabad, Chak Jhumra, Faizabad Lal Mill Chowk and other places.

An industrialist told Dawn that they had to pay heavily due to shortage of gas and electricity. “The situation is due to the ill-conceived policies of successive governments. We have invested and provided jobs to millions of people and are contributing to national economy but there is hardly any incentive, he said.

Owners rap govt for ‘gas denial’

He said the government must take the stakeholders on board to reach an amicable solution. Saying that countries like India, Bangladesh and China were progressing, he expressed apprehension about annihilation of Pakistan’s industry.

Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association vice-chairman Altaf Ahmad said all textile associations would be approached to devise a strategy as the government was considering the option to suspend gas supply to the textile sector for three months.

He said last year it had been decided that the industry would be given 33pc of gas quota but the government was unlikely to go by the agreement as a result of which hundreds of thousands of workers would be rendered jobless.

He demanded the 33pc quota otherwise, he said, the entrepreneurs would take to the street.

District Officer Shaukat Hayyat told Dawn that ensuring pollution-free environment was the prime responsibility of the government and industrialists were bound to follow guidelines.

He said a number of units had been sealed and served notices for not installing the gadgets to check hazardous emissions.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2014