ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The government is pursuing a policy of installing 12 effluent treatment plants in a phased manner in different industrial zones.

This was said by Minister of State for Environment Maj Tahir Iqbal (retired) in response to a calling attention notice of PML- Q member Malik Amin Aslam Khan on Saturday.

“Out of the 12 plants, six will be installed in the first phase in industrial zones, including Hattar Industrial Estate,” the minister said.

Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain, however, referred the motion to the standing committee concerned on the request of the member after the minister did not oppose the move.

The speaker also directed the standing committee to discuss the matter threadbare and report to the house within a month.

He suggested the committee to discuss the increasing pollution in Nullah Leh in which waste from different local industrial units was dumped, besides deforestation in some parts of Rawalpindi.

“We will like to seek cooperation and input from the members of the assembly in tackling environmental issues of the country,” Tahir Iqbal said. He also announced the government’s intention to test the effluents of different industries.

The minister said the project of installing treatment plants would be financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He recalled that the government had constituted a committee in October 2002, which had recommended installation of effluent plants in the country. In response to this recommendation, a big industrial enterprize had even set up a treatment plant.

The member had invited the attention of the environment minister about the discharge of untreated industrial effluent waste from Hattar Industrial Estate.

He said all industrial units in Hattar Estate were polluting a nearby Nullah and poisoning the wells, causing allergies and breathing problems among the residents of nearby localities.

The member also protested that despite recommendations of the committee concerned, only one plant was set up in the country.