KARACHI: Governor Sindh Dr. Ishratul Ibad Khan has released an amount of Rs38.4 million for laying of an exclusive water pipeline to the Tannery Zone of Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) in order to provide water to the export-oriented leather industries.
ThePC-I of the project has already been prepared by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the contract for the project has been awarded to a local firm following tendering process. After the completion of project the Tannery Zone would be getting three million gallons water per day.
Governor Sindh Dr. Ishratul Ebad took this decision following a meeting of the delegation of Pakistan Tanners Association (SZ) led by its Chairman Khurshid Ahmed with the Governor, Managing Director KWSB Misbah Uddin Farid, Administrator KMC, Muhammad Husain Syed and Commissioner KMC Matanat Ali Khan at Governor House recently. Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Shaikh was also present on the occasion.
Governor discussed the matter at large with the stakeholders and government officials.
Khurshid Ahmed apprised the meeting that billion dollar leather industry is dying due to the water crisis and the over Rs40 billion’s exports have been threatened due to the drought like situation at Tannery Zone. He further said that PTA had sent many SOS to the KWSB high ups but to no avail.
The MD KWSB, Misbah Uddin informed the Governor about shortage of funds for not laying a separate pipeline for Tannery Zone. The Governor then has approved the cost of the project from his special funds.
“The M.D. KWSB has finalized the project of laying down the water pipeline network from Chamra Chowrangi to all inside and peripheral streets of Tannery Zone in Sector 7A, KIA for regular supply of water and the work should be started in a couple of days as announced by the KWSB”, Khurshid said. He further said that after the resumption of water supply to the Tannery Zone the entire cluster of tanneries in the area would be working smoothly as the water is the main ingredient for the processing of leather and considered as lifeline for the leather industry besides saving the future of around 100,00 workers in the industry. He said that over 200 leather industries are located at Tannery Zone and contribute over 40 per cent of the total leather production of Pakistan.
He admired the kind gesture of Dr. Ishratul tbad Khan for granting special funds for the project in order to save value-added exports. He said that Governor Sindh would soon attend the foundation stone laying ceremony to be held in Tannery Zone KIA.
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