Representatives of all the seven industrial estates of the city have urged the Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to direct Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for withdrawal of industrial closure notices issued to them. They also demanded the establishment of Sindh Environmental Protection Council without delay.
They further decided to hold a press conference and announce future line of action if their demands are not met shortly. These demands were made in an emergency meeting held here on Saturday, The meeting observed that SEPA is trying to hide incompliancy behind its unjustifiable notices. The industrialists said that the country will suffer irreparable losses if the government fails to withdraw the notices.
They observed that treatment of industrial waste before dumping it in sea, is the basic responsibility of concern institutions and authorities, for this purpose 4 joint treatment plants had been approved 20 years back but these project are yet to be materialized. The meeting also observed that it is a legal condition to establish Sindh Environmental Protection Council under the Sindh Environmental Act 2014.
This Act also made it compulsory to give representation to Industrialists in the council, however this council is competent authority to form environment protection standards in the province, though the council is not been formed yet, than how SEPA can issue notices to the industry while this agency is not been authorized to define standards. They further observed that legal requirements were not accomplished by SEPA so the notices are illegal.
This joint meeting cautioned that this issue can bring a crisis for industry and economic setback for the country; hike in unemployment was also feared. The meeting was attended by presidents and representatives of Landhi, SITE, Federal B Area, North Karachi, SITE Super Highway, Bin Qasim and Korangi Associations of Trade & Industry. President KATI Masood Naqi, Javed Bilwani, Zubair Motiwala etc attended the meeting.
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