KARACHI, Feb 15: The residents of Bin Qasim Town have expressed concern over the mushroom growth of unplanned industrial units in the town's rural areas, posing serious health hazards to people.

According to them, these units were being established in the proximity of villages without any master plans or approval of any controlling body including the KBCA. They say effluents being discharged into the nearby Sukkun and Malir rivers.

More dangerous, they pointed out that the water supply lines and discharge lines of these industrial units and factories were running parallel in some places, thus slow poisoning the human population through seepage.

The residents said they were not against industrialization, but they suggested that industrial zones should be established with proper master plans, and these should not be set within residential areas. City Councilor, Mehrun Nisa Baloch, who is also chairperson of the Environment Committee, city government, said she had raised the issue at various forums.