RAWALPINDI, June 9: The district government has decided to shift industrial units out of the city limits to check pollution. Talking to this reporter on Wednesday , District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani said he had summoned a meeting of the departments concerned to start implementation of the decision.

Responding to a question, he said the implementation was likely to start in a couple of weeks. Similar actions in the past have gone unheeded. Mr Kiani said the owners would be given a deadline to shift.

He hoped that factory-owners would voluntarily accept the decision and shift outside the city. However, in case of any defiance, the Nazim said strict action would be taken.

He said the presence of factories in the over-populated parts of the city was not only causing pollution, but also resulting in the outbreak of diseases particularly asthma and other chest infections.

"These people are playing with the lives of the people and we expect that they would realize their responsibility and try to make mends by leaving their existing premises immediately," he added.

According to an official report, there are about 1,200 licenced industries in the inner parts of the city, which are predominantly residential areas. The number of unregistered ones is far more than the registered ones and there is apparently no record of such units.

The unregistered ones do not have any sort of permission from Environment Protection Agency, Department of Industries or Tehsil Municipal Administration. Most of these units in non-formal sector are small to medium-sized cottage industries and are scattered all over the city.

The industries in the non-formal sector, the report says, are generating hazardous waste and causing air pollution through emission, creating physical and environmental problems.

Such industries include leather and tanning, shoe-making, food processing, dying, plastics, auto-workshops, polyethylene, paints manufacturing, plastic utensils, fire crackers, soaps, detergents, electronics and fabric paintings.

These units create both noise, air and water pollution. The industry indiscriminately releases carcinogens such as asbestos and soot, particulate matter and noxious gases into the air causing air quality to decline and increasing the incidence of respiratory diseases.