Deputy Commissioner Adnan Mehmood Awan said on Friday that immediate steps would be taken to shift tanneries from city area to respective tanneries zone. The aim of shifting tanneries was to control environmental problems, he said, adding that tanneries found unfit in environmental sampling report would be sealed as per rules of Municipal Corporation and Environment Department. He stated this while addressing a meeting regarding Tanneries Zone along with Director Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Khalid Rasool. The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Revenue/Administrator Municipal Corporation (MC) Muhammad Iqbal, District Officer (DO) Environment Waseem Cheema, Project Director Tanneries Zone Muhammad Atif and Chairman Tanneries Association Zulfiqar Ali. Deputy Commissioner Adnan Mehmood Awan said that in last year’s meeting with Secretary Environment Punjab, tanneries association promised to shift to the zone in two years, but so far only 19 out of 350 plot owners have taken possession, 12 have started construction and two units have started working which was very disappointing. He said the project director gives step by step plan including possession of plot, preparation of foundation, preparation of building, roof, transfer of machinery to the tanners owners and the owners who do not implement it, their plots should be cancelled. The DC directed the Environment Department to start environmental sampling of big tanneries units and those samples were not up to the standard should be sealed immediately. He said the government had completed the tanneries zone project with huge investment, adding that water treatment plant would start working by November, there had been significant progress on the grid station construction, power lines project. TDAP Director Khalid Rasool also spoke on the occasion.