SIALKOT, Feb 7: Shehzada Alam Monnoo, the federal minister for commerce, textile, privatisation and investment, says the government is making all-out efforts to curb the menace of industrial pollution besides encouraging the entrepreneurs to use Cleaner Production Technologies (CPTs) on their installations.

He stated this while addressing a meeting during his visit to Cleaner Production Centre here on Thursday.

He said the use of CPTs had now become vital to purge the industries from pollution to meet global challenges under the WTO regime.

The minister was informed that after the marvellous success of CPTs project in the Sialkot’s tanning and leather industry, it had been decided introducing the CPTs in sports goods and surgical instruments manufacturing industries, Gujranwala’s metal finishing industry, Gujrat’s fan industry and Wazirabad’s cutlery industry with an aim to enhance the production of these industries, besides curbing pollution and also modernising these industries.

He was told that the introduction of the CPTs in other industries had now become vital for the upgradation and survival of these industries.

Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Chairman Suhail Masud said the main objective of this project was to control the indiscriminate discharge of potentially harmful solid waste and heavily polluted wastewater and reduce production/treatment costs with the introduction and implementation of CPTs in the tanning industry.

CPC Project Manger Muhammad Atif said the CPTs had shown overall 30 to 40 per cent reduction in tanneries pollution load, including 10 per cent reduction in usage of chemicals, 25 per cent reduction in water usage, 20 per cent reduction in waste production and 20-30 per cent reduction in treatment cost in the tanning industry.

The federal minister also visited the SCCI and discussed with its office-bearers and other businessmen matters of mutual interest.