KARACHI, June 4: The Sindh Environment Adviser, Noman Saigol, has held factories and transport owners responsible for the increasing pollution in Karachi. “The factories and the transport mafia have been spreading pollution in violation of environmental laws,” he said speaking at different ceremonies organised in connection with the World Environment Day.

Mr Saigol said that environmental degradation in Sindh had reached an alarming level and if not controlled, it would not only affect the people of the province but the exports of industrial units as well.

He quoted the World Trade Organisation according to which all factories will have to undergo environmental auditing while environmental impact assessment has been made compulsory for new industries.

Unfortunately, the factory owners in Sindh were neglecting these laws contributing to environmental degradation, he lamented.

Referring to marine pollution, he said that fishing communities of Ibrahim Hyderi and other coastal areas of Karachi had complained several times about factories discharging toxic chemicals into the sea, which not only posed threat to the marine life but also to the lives of people living along the coast.

“These poisonous effluents have polluted the air and were as well causing health hazards,” he added.

The adviser said he had directed the EPA officials to ensure that the industries discharging toxic chemicals stopped such practices and installed treatment plants within a month.Reiterating his warning, the adviser said that the pipelines of factories would be dismantled in case they did not abide by the directives and failed to install treatment plants.

He also asked citizens to join hands with the government for making Sindh a pollution-free province.

He told that under the law, any person involved in cutting trees could be punished with Rs3,000 fine and six months imprisonment. Mr Saigol said that his department would be launching a plantation campaign in the province.—PPI