KARACHI, Nov 22: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued notices to the federal environment ministry, the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency and other respondents for November 28 in a petition seeking direction against dumping toxic industrial waste in open spaces.

The petition says industrial waste containing toxic material and other harmful chemical substances is being dumped in and around the Rahimshah graveyard in Orangi Town. One such refuse dump caused injuries to 14 children recently. The chemicals are thrown by a paint manufacturing plant.

Petitioners Khawaja Mohammad, Ali Sarwar and others complained that the environmental authorities were unwilling to take any action against factory owners responsible for dumping toxic wastes in open spaces. The Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate was also unable to curb environment pollution. The threat posed by pollution was too obvious to be ignored by industrialists and their representative organizations, it adds.

They prayed to the court to prohibit the dumping of toxic waste in, around or near any public space or residential area. The court was particularly requested to direct the environmental authorities to seek monthly environmental reports from industrial units.

The bench, comprising Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Sajjad Ali Shah, asked the respondents to submit their comments on the averments made in the petition.