Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) should withdraw within ten days notices for closure of industries that have been served to industrial units of SITE Association of Trade and Industry, Korangi, Landhi, F B Area, North Karachi, SITE Superhighway and Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry in respect of Combined Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) in their respective industrial zones.

The members of seven industrial associations of Karachi have appealed to the Sindh government, stating that if SEPA fails to withdraw the notices, all industrial units will close rendering workers and employees jobless.

During a press conference, the heads of all industrial associations said that according to SEPA Act 2014, there should be a council comprising of officials from relevant government departments and members of industrial associations for the treatment of waste industrial water. “However, there is no such Council as the Sindh government has failed to constitute this for a long time, and under the absence of a council, SEPA has served notices to industries, which was beyond anyone’s imagination”, the industrialists asserted.

They added that it is sheer inability on the part of SEPA that despite its official and social responsibility to help set up CETP, SEPA has failed.

“It is on record that former Sindh Additional Attorney General K K Agha had accepted before the Supreme Court of Pakistan that the set-up of CETP was the responsibility of the Sindh government and work on the project should be expedited”, they remarked.

The Sindh government in its annual budget 2016-17 had allocated sufficient funds for environment protection and waste management purpose besides earmarked land for setting up five CETP in industrial zones, but it all remains in the air.

In March 2016, PC I and PC II of Rs 11.39 billion with technical and non-technical aspects was submitted to the Sindh government.

The industrial heads appealed to Sindh Chief Minister to direct SEPA withdraw its notices forthwith and start setting up CETP in all industrial units.