Sindh commits to solving environmental problems

Compliance with environmental laws is mandatory for all sectors and the government is taking action to address the province’s environmental issues on a priority basis, Sindh’s Additional Chief Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Muhammad Hassan has said. Iqbal.

Addressing members of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) on Monday, Iqbal said Pakistan faces many hurdles on its way to smooth environmental improvement. “We are trying to make full use of modern technology to eliminate environmental pollution,” he added.

“Policy formulation will be done on a priority basis to guide innovation in environmental and industrial development and address related issues.”

Earlier, KATI Chairman Salman Aslam said industrialists wanted to prioritize the adoption of world-class environmental standards, but this was difficult due to procedural and legal obstacles on the government side.

He added that his association offered full cooperation to the environment department for the implementation of environmental laws at all levels. “If the environmental departments provided facilities to industrialists, they would take all possible measures to ensure compliance with the laws in the industries”, declared the president of KATI.

Speaking on the occasion, the CEO of Korangi Industrial Trading Estate, Zubair Chhaya, called on the Environmental Protection Agency to set up help desks in all industry associations. “Karachi needs more than five combined effluent treatment plants,” he said.

“If industrial activities in Karachi have more government problems than other cities in the country, then the Department of Environment must take responsibility and focus on providing facilities in Karachi.” The chairman of the KATI Standing Committee on the Environment, Saleem uz Zaman, stressed the need to amend the laws.

“Industrialists want to put in place environmental policies but it is difficult to do so without amendments,” he added. Obstacles to the completion of the effluent treatment plant in Karachi must be removed immediately and development work must be expedited, Zaman said.

Zaman suggested activating a technical committee with representation from the city’s industrial areas so that the policy can be formulated in consultation with all stakeholders.

“The ministry must be proactive so that it can carry out its environmental functions in the best possible way,” he added. “Institutions must work together for the improvement of the environment.” “Scientific research is necessary to eliminate economic and environmental problems in society,” Zaman said.