KARACHI: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has showcased its digitalisation initiative and the Sindh Integrated Environmental Monitoring and Management Information System (SIEMMIS) at a three-day technology exhibition underway at the Expo Centre.
The initiative is aimed at bringing environmental governance, monitoring and public services across the province into a modern digital framework.
Secretary Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department Faisal Ahmed Uqaili said SEPA was being shifted towards digital environmental governance to make the processes of environmental approvals, NOCs, industrial registration, inspections, complaints and record management faster, transparent and more efficient.
He said the platform would bring online applications and renewals for environmental licences, NOC processing, industrial registration and compliance monitoring, environmental complaint registration and tracking, and inspection management under an integrated system.
The system would also enable GIS-based mapping of industrial units, real-time environmental data monitoring and instant access to digitised documents and historical records, helping promote data-driven decision-making on environmental matters, he added.
Uqaili said an AI-powered multilingual chatbot was also being introduced to provide guidance to citizens in English, Urdu and Roman Urdu, while applicants would be able to track the progress of their applications and complaints online.
He said the digital system would reduce paperwork and unnecessary visits to government offices, simplify regulatory procedures for businesses and industries, and provide citizens with faster and more transparent access to environmental services.
The secretary said applicants would receive timely updates on the status and progress of their applications, while the entire process — from registration of environmental complaints to their resolution — could be tracked transparently.
Faisal Ahmed Uqaili added that SEPA’s digitalisation would improve monitoring by government institutions, introduce automated workflows, establish a centralised environmental information database and support more transparent decision-making.
“The government’s objective is to use technology effectively to establish a modern environmental system that contributes to a clean, green and healthy Sindh,” Uqaili said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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