KARACHI, Feb 12: Taking note of the press reports that the discharge of poisonous effluent of factories had caused death of a large number of fish, Sindh Environment Adviser Noman Saigal asked tanneries and other chemical industries to stop forthwith the discharge of poisonous effluent and install treatment plants within 15 days or be prepared to face the action under the law.

He said this during his visit to Ibrahim Hyderi and other areas along the coast on Sunday where huge stocks of dead fish were washed ashore on Thursday last.

Area people told the adviser that poisonous effluents were responsible for air and marine pollution. The effluents after getting mixed up with water supplied to people also resulted in spread of several diseases, he was informed.

They demanded action against the factories discharging the poisonous chemicals as it had posed serious threat to the livelihood of local fishermen.

Noman Saigal directed the officials of Environmental Protection Agency to issue notices with immediate effect to the tanneries and other chemical factories to stop discharging poisonous chemicals forthwith and install treatment plants in 15 days or otherwise their pipelines would be removed besides other legal actions. “In case of violation of the environmental laws, the factories could be sealed off as well,” he warned.

He said that the government would not allow any factory to play with the human lives. He also got samples of water discharged to Ibrahim Hyderi and sent the same to laboratories for testing. —PPI