HYDERABAD: Under an initiative of Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), inspection of the industrial units in SITE area here to check violation of the environmental laws is underway.
A team of experts, headed by water technologist Dr Ahsan Siddiqui, who was also given the responsibility of regularly monitoring Manchar lake by the Sindh High Court, is undertaking the task.
The team, which includes officials from SEPA and Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate, will most likely complete its inspection of over 390 industrial units by the end of next week.
According to SEPA's Regional Director Muneer Abbassi, the initiative was taken on the directives of Sindh Environment Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro.
"We are checking the in house waste water and solid waste treatment plants as well as monitoring the air and noise pollution of these industries," he told the APP.
According to a survey conducted by the SEPA, the industrial units in SITE include mobile oil, paper and pulp, paint industry, pharmaceutical units, textiles, glass and bangles, PVC, rubber and plastic industries.
The report says the hazardous chemicals discharged to the environment include selenium, fluorides, sulphate, nitrate, cyanide, phenols, boron, vinyl chloride, monomer, carcinogens and asbestos.
The Regional Director said the SITE units were not only polluting the environment but also a very crucial waterway, the Phuleli canal, which was a drinking water and irrigation source for Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan and Badin districts.
"The SITE area's waste water is discharged in the canal without prior treatment of its effluents," Abbassi said.
A SITE official who requested anonymity told APP that all the
industrial units were under agreement with the SITE to install in house waste treatment plants.
However, he admitted that a majority of them flout that condition that they were agreed to in writing with the SITE.
Dr Ahsan Siddiqui informed that they were inspecting dozens of
industrial units each day to check the in house treatment facilities.
He expressed the hope that the report, which would be handed over to the SEPA, would be completed within a week.
An official who is part of the team told APP that so far around 250 units had been inspected.
However, he claimed, not a single of them had been found properly equipped with the in house treatment system.
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