LAHORE, May 17: Out of 103 industrial units discharging their waste water into the Charrar drain, only six units have treatment plants, Environment Protection Department (EPD) Director General Shagufta Shah Jahan said at a meeting on Tuesday.

She said her department had issued 58 Environmental Protection Orders to the polluters.

Housing societies using Charrar drain for waste water disposal are: Defence Housing Authority, Sui Housing Society, State Life Housing Society, Civil Aviation Authority (Airport) and Punjab Land Development Company (under-construction Ashyana Housing Society), besides several private housing societies of Aziz Bhatti and Nishtar towns.

Environment Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana gave directions that as the drain needed pavement and de-silting, dumping of solid waste along the drain should be banned and its original status of storm water channel should be restored.

He said all housing societies and industries were requested to immediately install water treatment plants or their cases would be referred to the Environmental Tribunal.

Representatives of the Industries Department, Wasa, Irrigation Department, DHA and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries were present at the meeting.

The 19-kilometre Charrar drain is connected to Hudiara drain, and is located in southeast of the city. It originates near Burki Road and it ends in Hudiara drain at Dullu Khurd, 23km Ferozepur Road. It is a storm water channel but currently its status is sewage-cum-industrial drain.