FINDING contradiction in two reports submitted by Environment Protection Department (EPD) and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) about details of the industries causing water pollution, the Lahore High Court Green bench on Friday ordered the both departments to furnish revised lists of all such industries.

Appearing before the bench, environment additional secretary submitted a list of industries mentioning 283 factories causing water pollution while Wasa director mentioned 520 factories in his report.

On this, the judge ordered for revised and complete report having details of all such factories.

Justice Sayed Mansoor Ali Shah adjourned the further hearing till June 1.

No one from the petitioners, Pakistan Environmental Law Association and Lahore Conservation Society, appeared before the court for being out of the city.

The petitioners through Advocate Rafay Alam submitted before the bench that the River Ravi is a perennial river and is the smallest of the five main eastern tributaries of the River Indus. Alam said the River Ravi is the most polluted river in Pakistan and one of the most polluted rivers in the world. He said that major disposal of water in this river occurred in the 84 kilometre reach area of the river between Ravi Syphon and the Balloki Headworks. Within the reach area, the river receives wastewater at the points, including pumping stations of Shadbagh, Shahdara, Main Out Fall Road, Babu Sabu (Gulshan Ravi), Multan Road, Deg Nullah and Hadiara Drain.

The petitioner prayed to the court for directions for the government of the Punjab and Wasa to provide sewerage treatment facility.

He also prayed for directions for the environmental protection agency to carry out its responsibility under Pakistan Environmental Protection Act and take strict action against those people or industries discharging effluent into sewers and drains in excess of prescribed NEQS.