SIALKOT, Sept 8 Sialkot's tanning and leather industry has achieved 30 to 40 per cent reduction in tanneries pollution load in the city.

Former chairman of Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association Mohammad Anwar Butt told Dawn that the 'cleaner production techniques' project led to 10 per cent reduction in use of chemicals, 25 per cent reduction in water use, 20 per cent reduction in waste production and 20 to 30 per cent reduction in treatment cost in the tanning industry.

He pointed out that 95 per cent of the industries are small and medium sized in and around Sialkot that need assistance for reducing pollution.

Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA), SMEDA and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) have also decided to introduce the project of cleaner production techniques in sports goods, surgical industries, Gujranwala's metal finishing industry, Gujrat's fan industry and Wazirabad's cutlery industry with a sole aim to enhance the collective production of these industries , besides, purging these industries from environmental pollution and also modernising these industries to meet the global challenges under this WTO regime.

The industry believes it to be vital for upgradation and survival of these industries in the international markets.

Anwar Butt said that the CPC Sialkot extended technical assistance to tanneries on process improvement and reduction of pollution at source through installation of water flow meters for measurement of water to reduce effluent load and conserve environment.

The CPC ensured the installation of dust collectors at buffing machine to arrest the buffing dust, besides constructing screen grit chambers to trap the sludge from effluent through introduction of de-salting tables to minimise the quantity of salt in the effluent.

He said that the cleaner production centre Sialkot also established a chrome recovery plant to recover chrome from spent chrome liquors, besides establishing an environmental laboratory to facilitate tanners to analyse tannery effluents, a physical testing laboratory to check physical properties of leather.

He said that training programmes were conducted for the promotion of CP techniques in the tanning industry.