PESHAWAR, Nov 30: Due to lack of sewage treatment plants, majority of industrial units in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, Peshawar, are releasing effluents in excess of the level prescribed in the National Environmental Quality Standard, Dawn learnt here on Friday.

There are 100 industries in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, situated some seven kilometres from the city. However, with the exception of a few, majority of them have no sewage treatment plants, which is a clear violation of the law.

It has also been learnt that due to the lack of treatment plants the effluents, coming out of these industrial units, containing poisonous chemicals, flow into the Shah Alam river, through the Kucha Garhi canal, and ultimately fall into the Kabul river, endangering its ecology.

An official of the Environmental Protection Agency, NWFP, confirmed the excessive release of effluents by majority of the industries in Hayatabad. As a rule, he said, all of them should have effective treatment plants to prevent environmental degradation in the locality.

“Different types of factories and industries in Hayatabad are causing environmental pollution because of excessive release of hazardous effluents “, he added.

He said that, under section 17 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, the government had notified a limit to the National Environmental Quality Standard, for strict adherence by all industrial units. “Violation of this standard is liable to a fine of one million rupees and five years’ imprisonment or both.