KARACHI, April 16: The Provincial Module of Self-Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), a software developed for management of reports generated by the industries under self-monitoring programme, has been handed over to Environmental Protection Agency, Sindh government.

SMART, developed by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SPDI), is a package which assists industries to make self monitoring and reporting through electronic form. This was stated by Director General of EPA, Shafiq Ahmed Khoso at a one-day training programme for the capacity building of EPA at EPA Complex on Tuesday.

The whole package, he said, comprises software, users’ manual and guidelines. Industries operating in the province are required to get the package from EPA through a registration process, he added.

Masood Hussain of SPDI said that the use of SMART software would help enable industries to comply with environmental quality standards more effectively, which would held them in achieving ISO certification, says a press release of EPA.

Under WTO obligations — all industries will be required to opt for certain standards to avoid any restriction on their trade from the beginning of 2005, the deadline given by the WTO, he said.