KARACHI, April 14 A privately-owned milk plant has in guarded language conceded that the charges of pollution laid against it by two government departments are justified, though it is trying to shift the responsibility for its action on “natural calamity,” Dawn has learnt.

According to highly-placed sources, the milk plant, which is owned by a fertilizer company and is located in Sukkur near the Indus River, was accused not only of contaminating the river with untreated / partially treated effluents but also adversely affecting the highly-endangered blind Indus River dolphins associated with the nearby Sadhu Bela School.

The milk plant was issued legal notices by the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD), and the plant`s management was summoned for a personal hearing on March 31. During this meeting, reportedly, the plant management accepted its culpability and committed to address the pollution issue soon. However, the milk plant has not so far submitted the reports demanded of it by Sepa.

The plant management`s commitment to the government agencies in terms of cleaning up its operations belies an earlier claim made by the milk plant that its record was beyond criticism — upon being contacted by Dawn some time back, the plant`s management had claimed that it was treating all effluents in the acceptable manner and was following all the relevant laws.

Commitment to address issues

Sources said that during the March 31 meeting, the plant management accepted its responsibility by saying that “we kept the discharge of effluents strictly under the National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) until October 2007, when the aeration basin of the treatment plant collapsed suddenly due to the rains. The [treatment] process was slightly disturbed but it was able to keep most of the applicable parameters well within the NEQS limits.”

Reportedly, the management went on to say that “we are using evaporation ponds within our property limit to treat this water in the same manner as done in the aeration basin; when the available system is filled the overflow is diverted to evaporation ponds which ensures that the water is fit for irrigation purposes and is good for agriculture.”

“The aeration basin is being redesigned and will be constructed within four months; after its completion, the inner liner could be placed as has been advised by Sepa,” sources quoted the plant management as having said during the March 31 hearing.

Regarding the open air storage of chemicals, the plant management reportedly said that “chemicals are kept over concrete flooring which ensures that no chemical would enter the subsoil” but that the management had “not been aware of the requirement of a shed on the top of the chemicals.” It claimed that it had now provided a temporary shed to meet this requirement and a permanent one would be completed by May. “The solid waste is handed over to the municipal authorities, which under an agreement, are paid and the waste is dumped by them,” said the milk plant`s management.

Regarding the noise pollution emitted by the plant, the management said that outside the generation room the noises levels were at 86 decibels, which it accepted was slightly over the permissible levels. “Efforts would be made to either bring it within the permissible levels or the staff concerned would be provided suitable safety and protective equipment,” it stated.

The Sepa Sukkur chief, Waqar Phulpoto, told Dawn that the milk plant had been directed to provide a certificate from the agriculture department testifying that the effluents generated were fit to be used for irrigation and agricultural purposes. He added that his organisation had also demanded that the work on the plant`s treatment facilities be expedited and completed within three months.

“The plant has also been directed to furnish the agreement with the municipal authorities regarding the disposal of solid waste and the site where it is dumped,” said Mr Phulpoto. “The plant has not yet submitted all the reports required of it and its management has again been directed to submit all the reports.”

Mr Phulpoto said that during the meeting the plant management conceding that the plant operations had been polluting the environment for some time had assured Sepa that they (plant management) would complete and improve the plants` treatment operations by making the treatment plant fully operational in a few months - four at the most.

Dolphin habitat disturbed

Meanwhile, the SWD raised concern last year that the high-voltage lighting set up by the plant along the Indus River was affecting the Indus River dolphin populations.

Responding to the issue, the plant`s management said during the March 31 hearing that the “outer wall lights have been reduced to the absolute minimum, both in terms of the number of lights of which as many as possible have been turned off, and also in terms of the lights` focus, which has been adjusted away from the river.”

Upon being contacted by Dawn, the SWD Sukkur chief, Hussain Bakhsh Bhaagat, confirmed that the issue of the high-voltage lights was raised last year. “After approximately a year, the milk plant has finally approached the department to discuss the issue,” he pointed out. “The lights are disturbing the highly-endangered Indus River dolphins, many of which have shifted towards the banks and the barrage where they are rendered far more vulnerable because there is more human activity there. Furthermore, the effluents generated by the plant and contaminating and leading to the degradation of the dolphin habitat.”