KARACHI: Faced with growing concern of local agencies over marine pollution, the Sindh government held a high-level meeting on Friday where the minister for environment directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) to expedite action against polluters, particularly the industrial units discharging hazardous effluent, and served them with notices, sources told Dawn.

The sources said the meeting chaired by Mr Ismail Rahoo, minister for environment, climate change and coastal development (ECC&CD), was held to review the progress industries had made in setting up treatment plants in Sindh as well as the status of collection and disposal of solid waste in Karachi.

The meeting was attended by additional chief secretary of ECC&CD department Muhammad Hassan Iqbal, director general of Sepa Naeem Ahmed Mughal, special secretary Ahmed Sultan Khoso and other senior officers.

The sources said the unscheduled meeting was held against the backdrop of a letter the department had received a few days ago from the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency wherein the latter had urged the provincial government to take practical steps in controlling growing marine pollution.

Directs Sepa to get tough with polluting industries

During the meeting, the minister was informed that a total of 10,000 big and small industrial units operated in the province out of which 4,000 released effluent while 200 industries had reportedly installed their own treatment plants at the behest of Sepa.

He was also briefed that a number of industrial units were availing services of the combined effluent treatment plants, one of which was located in Korangi whereas the other in Kotri.

According to Sepa’s data shared in the meeting, a total 14,000 tonnes of solid waste was generated daily in Karachi out of which the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board safely disposed of 9,500 tonnes of waste daily at the landfill sites of Jam Chakro and Govind Pass.

Sepa officials, sources said, also shared reservations on behalf of the industries demanding that the government set up a combined effluent facility as they neither possessed the funds or space to set up an individual treatment plant within their premises.

The meeting participants decided that Sepa would contact the industries department to look into the status of the three proposed combined effluent treatment plants, which were planned to be installed at different industrial areas of Karachi, and offer technical assistance, if needed.

The minister directed the environmental watchdog to flex its regulatory muscles and boost environmental monitoring across Sindh. “Mr Rahoo told Sepa officials to get strict against polluters as no one is above the law.”

Poor air quality

Another major concern raised in the meeting pertained to Karachi’s poor air quality.

The data shared by Sepa officials showed that the majority of the city’s areas had alarming levels of PM2.5, fine inhalable particles that could penetrate into lungs and cause several illnesses.

In his response, Mr Rahoo directed Sepa to start aggressive monitoring of vehicular emissions and ensure that industries install chimneys to control air pollution.

According to Sepa sources, the majority of the 10,000 plus big and small industries in Karachi are not registered with the provincial environment authorities.

Most of these industrial units are located in seven industrial zones in different parts of Karachi, such as the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Federal B Area, North Karachi and Port Qasim.

Currently, there is no effective mechanism in the city to manage any kind of waste, including medical waste and industrial effluent, the bulk of which goes directly into the sea without any treatment. The issue has been raised many times as the hazardous waste emitting toxic gases affects public health, destroys marine life and contaminates the food chain.

The environmental watchdog has been failing for decades to enforce its writ against the powerful industry.

The Supreme Court-mandated Water Commission (Dec 2016-Jan2019) took up this matter and carried out detailed surveys. The industry, including the owners of sugar mills and distilleries had given time-bound written undertakings to install pre-treatment plants, entailing contempt proceedings for defaulters, and sanctions under the SEPA Act. But, there was hardly any implementation.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2022