HYDERABAD, May 5: The Environmental Protection Agency and Alternate Energy department have called for setting up a treatment plant to save the Keenjhar-Baghar feeder from industrial waste of Kotri.

The EPA has maintained that in case of construction an of oxidation pond, toxic water will again enter the KB feeder through seepage.

The fact was brought to the notice of the managing director of the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate, Mr Shazar Shamun, on Friday.

Mr Shamun inspected work on the oxidation pond amid reservations by the Environmental Protection Agency and Alternate Energy department.

The pond is closely located to the KB feeder.

Site officials said that at present there was no arrangement on ground for water treatment.

They said it should be given retention time in the pond to kill its toxic contents.

Another objection of the EPA regarding oxidation pond is that it has not been cleared by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 which is mandatory.

Embankments of the pond are being built for which Site has hired a consultant.

At present, the KB feeder is being heavily polluted due to release of effluent of industrial units of Kotri.

Domestic waste of Jamshoro and Kotri towns is also being drained out in the KB feeder through which water is first stored in Keenjhar lake and then supplied to Karachi.

Sindh chief secretary Fazalur Rehman directed the DCO Jamshoro and MD and secretary of the EPA to pay a visit to pond’s site and verify whether any work has started.

The chief secretary chaired a meeting on April 22 in Karachi which was attended by secretaries of industries and labour, irrigation, environment, chief engineer Kotri barrage, additional secretary health and the DCO of Jamshoro.

The meeting discussed pollution of the Indus River and the KB feeder in detail.

The chief secretary called for analysis of quality of water at the Kotri upstream as waste water of two power houses was being discharged into the Indus River.

The DCO of Jamshoro had held a meeting in which he formed a committee headed by an engineer of the Public Health Engineering department.

The committee obtained samples of wastewater of power houses, Indus River upstream and effluent of around seven to eight industrial units.

The samples were sent to the Sindh University laboratory and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The results of tests are awaited.