Judicial commission tells seafood industries to install treatment plants

KARACHI: The Supreme Court-backed judicial commission looking into the failure of the provincial authorities to provide drinking water, better sanitation and a healthy environment to the people of Sindh on Friday directed the industries situated in the Port Qasim Authority Zone to install the required septic tanks in their factory premises within two months, failing which their factories would be sealed.

The commission headed by Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim heard representatives of several seafood factories about their failure to install septic tanks at their factories. It observed that the factories would not be allowed to function if they did not build septic tanks. The commission directed the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) to visit the factories and submit a report on whether septic tanks had been constructed there, and if those which had been installed were functioning properly.

It observed that if Sepa opined that the premises required septic tanks, they should be put in place in two months, failing which the factories would be sealed.

Factory owners’ representatives appeared before the commission and denied that they had restrained Sepa officials from visiting their factories.

The commission also took notice of the conduct of some factories whose owners or representatives did not allow access to the Sepa officials, and issued bailabale warrants against them so as to appear before the commission on July 7.