Industries threaten shutdown over SEPA notices

KARACHI: Trade bodies of seven industrial estates of Karachi have threatened to shut down factories protesting the provincial environment agency’s alleged business-unfriendly activities, a statement said on Thursday. 

“We want Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to withdraw notices slapped on factories for discharging untreated effluents into watercourses or else we will bring the industry to a halt,” businesspersons told reporters here at Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) House. 

The press briefing was followed by a protest demonstration within the premises of house.   Javed Bilwani, coordinator of Joint Forum of All Karachi Town Associations of Trade and Industry, said it was ironical that Islamabad is announcing relief packages, while Sindh is sending unjustified notices to industries. 

“All the seven associations will collect the data of notices and hold press conferences in the next seven days. Every trade area has received around 50-60 notices each, bringing the total number to around 350 notices so far," he told the media.

Moving forward, Bilwani called into question whether SEPA was authorized to send such notices to industries.

“Industries in the city were established during 1950s through 1970s, while Environment Protection Act Sindh was introduced in 2014,” he said, adding, for looking into such matters, it is required under the law to constitute a council, which was not formed.

He further said around 90 percent industry in the city was established on plots of 500 to 1,500 square yards and there was no space for individual effluent treatment plants, as suggested by SEPA. “Combined effluent treatment plant (CETP) would be much cheaper and cost effective to treat,” Bilwani added.   The business leader observed the Sindh government had prepared a project for the establishment of five CETPs for which it approved Rs5 billion, while another Rs5 billion was to be sanctioned by the federal government.

“Rs25 billion are lying with the federal government under EDF (Export Development Fund). We request the federal government to take Rs5 to Rs6 billion from the EDF and sanction it for the CETPs,” Bilwani said.