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HYDERABAD: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) on Thursday asked industrialists of Nooriabad, Kotri and Hyderabad sites to take effective measures for controlling environmental pollution by installing anti-pollution equipment.
If the problem persisted, their cases would be forwarded to the Environmental Protection Tribunal for legal proceedings and their units would face closure.
This warning was given by the Sepa director general during personal hearings of various industrial units of Hyderabad, Nooriabad and Kotri sites held under Section 21(1) of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act (SEPA), 2014. Orders for closing 25 units were also issued, according to a Sepa announcement.
Sepa has taken serious notice of disposal of untreated industrial wastewater from various industrial units of Nooriabad, Kotri and Hyderabad sites into natural environment which is causing significance pollution to make water unfit for human consumption. The action is taken against offenders who are releasing untreated wastewater into the environment.
It said Sepa collected sufficient evidence of direct discharge of untreated wastewater of various industrial units into water bodies.
DG Naeem Ahmed Mughal conducted personal hearing in the regional office. He issued the Environmental Protection Order (EPO) for various industrial units, requiring them to install the state-art-of wastewater treatment plant within their units and submit environmental management plan/environmental audit under Section 20 of Sepa Act 2014 that address all environmental issues effectively.
Ninety notices of personal hearings were issued to industrial trade of paper, food, textile, pharmaceutical, flour, daal and oil mills and auto industries of the sites. They are violating Sepa Act 2014.
The DG ordered that 25 factories – a list of which was issued by Sepa – should be closed until they complied with the directives.
It was observed in the hearing that other environmental issues associated with operation of industrial units like solid waste, air emissions, noise level and health safety environment were also noted at work places which were badly felt by community that lived in their vicinity.
Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2016
