Smog-related emergency Industrialists to fully cooperate: FCCI

Industria-lists will fully cooperate to deal with smog-related emergency in Faisalabad, said President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh.
Addressing a meeting with Director Labour, District Officer Environment and DO industries in FCCI here today, he said that this is a regional catastrophe and government should also take high level measures to check the recurrence of such situation in future. "I have already directed the IT department of FCCI to mail smog related precautionary measures to its 5000 members", he said and added that all major industrial units are also being requested to provide face masks and ensure their usage by their workers particularly during these critical days.
President FCCI clarified that most of the industrialists are fully conscious of environment and are already using low-sulfur coal for their boilers. "The imported or local coal is tested in their own labs to ensure the minimum and permissible presence of sulfur in this coal", he said and added that if it is found in excess, the loaded trucks are immediately returned back to the importers or suppliers. The coal with high quantity of sulfur is not only injurious to human health and environment but is also major cause of erosion of their boilers and other machinery. In such case, the active usage life of boilers is reduced from 10 to only 2 years. He further said that most of the industrial units have also installed wet scrubbers and it is in this respect that environment of Faisalabad is free from dense and black industrial smoke.
He assured that FCCI will fully cooperate with all concerned departments to settle down the smog related issues through mutual liaison and consultancy.
Earlier, DO environment Shaukat Hayat said that Punjab government has issued high alert due to the smog which is hazardous for the human health. He said that there is no doubt that the dust and sulfur particles in atmosphere are shifted from Afghanistan and Western Punjab but being a responsible Pakistani we should avoid use of sulfur contained coal and other pollutants which will definitely multiply the issues related to environment. He said that large units are run with strict accordance of law but some small units are reportedly using old rags, leather, polyester and other highly dangerous fuels. He said that FCCI should play its role to convince them to voluntarily abandon this practice otherwise law will take its own course. He further said that smog situation is comparatively better as compared to four days ago and hopefully it will return to normal very soon.
Director Labor Abbas Cheema and DO Industries Khalid Mahmood also addressed the meeting while Syed Khalid Mahmood Shah, Secretary General FCCI Abid Masood, Muhammad Rashid and Amir Nisar took part in the question answer session.
Later, vice president FCCI Engineer Ahmad Hasan offered vote of thanks.