KARACHI: The Environ­mental Protection Agency (EPA) has given a go-ahead for setting up of a combined industrial and domestic effluent treatment plant at the Hub Industrial Area.

Director General EPA (Ba­l­ochistan) Tariq Zehri during a visit to the Lasbela Chamber of Com­merce and Industry (LCCI) met area businessmen and discussed issues at the Hub industrial area.

He said EPA, in cooperation with the chamber, will build a world-class common effluent treatment plant for disposal of industrial and domestic liquid waste.

LCCI Presid­ent Ismail Suttar appreciated the EPA decision and assured full cooperation from the industries of Hub and Lasbela in achieving 100 per cent compliance of environmental laws.

Mr Suttar also said that a plantation drive will be held in order to cope with the threats of environmental hazards that may emerge with the economic progress of the region in the wake of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

It was also decided that compliance to the National Environmental Quality Stan­­dards (NEQS) by all industries will be the responsibility of the chamber along with the environmental agency.

Mr Suttar said that current standards will also be reviewed in accordance with the specifications of the effluent currently discha­r­ged as there might be a need for individual pre-treatment facilities which will be installed at the respective industries.

The LCCI will hold a series of seminars with environmental consultants.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2017