KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the pollution of our environment has remained unnoticed. Had the factors of climate change been addressed our environment would have been different today. He said this while presiding over a meeting on climate change and environmental issues on Thursday at CM House. The CM said, “We all are responsible for destroying our clean and healthy atmosphere. He said, “The industrial affluent and domestic waste is being released in the Arabian Sea in Karachi and a similar attitude has been adopted in Hyderabad where Phuleli Canal has been polluted”. The chief minister said that today the province of Sindh particularly the major industrial cities are facing serious environmental issues because the industrialist have not adopted the environmental safety measures. He said, “We have to be responsible not only for ourselves but for our children and future generations”. The Minister for Environment Dr Sikandar Mendhro said that there are certain types of pollutions. He said, “Our industries and vehicles are emitting fumes and smoke in the atmosphere, which causes air pollution. When our industries release untreated affluent into the canals and in the open grounds it creates water pollution and even turn our subsoil poisonous”. The minister said that when any crop or fruit is grown on such a water and soil it becomes unhygienic. He said that being minister for environment he is helpless because the drainage system belongs to local government, industries are governed by Industries Department, land in the coastal area is owned by Forest Department only. The minister said, “I am responsible for treating the affluent for which industrialists are un-cooperative and there is a lack of coordination among different departments and agencies”. The chief minister while expressing his displeasure said that there should be close coordination among the concerned departments. He decided to create ‘Climate Change, Environment and Coastal Development Department’ so that single department could handle all the functions related to environment and climate change. He directed all the concerned departments to cooperate and support Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the newly created department for clean and health environment. The meeting also decided that Malaysian cooperation would be sought to plant palm trees along the coastal belt. The chief minister also directed the EPA to work out a comprehensive plan to control smoke emitting vehicles, disposal of industrial waste into Lyari and Malir nadies and its onward release into sea and also stop release of domestic and industrial waste into Phuleli Canal. The Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Mohammad Waseem said that a combined effluent plant with five units have been approved at a cost of Rs 11 billion. He said, “This schemes would be taken to the Federal Planning Commission for approval”, adding that this scheme would stop untreated disposal of industrial waste in the sea. The EPA DG briefed the chief minister about the measures he has taken to improve environmental condition. He said that the environmental tribunal has started functioning in the State Life building. The chief minister said that the reports of illegal cutting of trees in the city appear off and on. He asked, “Who allows them, what the local agencies are doing and why the police remain tight lipped on this matter”. The CM directed that from now onwards no tree would be slaughtered without solid reasons and permission of the concerned authority. It was also decided that tree plantation would be started soon. On this, the chief minister said that tree plantation is an easy job adding that you have to give ownership to each and every tree plant. Provincial ministers including Dr Sikandar Mendhro, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, BoR Senior Member Rizwan memon, Health Secretary Saeed Mangnijo, Finance Secretary Sohail Rajput, EPA DG Naeem Mughal and others attended the meeting.