Judicial commission tells CS to hold meeting with fisheries’ stakeholders

A Supreme Court-mandated judicial commission directed Sindh’s chief secretary on Monday to take on board all stakeholders at Karachi and Korangi fisheries and submit proposals to clean the harbours and create an environment-friendly atmosphere at the city’s shores.

Headed by Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, the commission has been looking into reasons why the relevant provincial authorities have failed to provide clean drinking water, better sanitation and a healthy environment to the people in the province.

On Monday, the commission heard the chairman of the Fishermen’s Cooperative Society and managing director of Karachi Fish Harbour, and observed that there was serious mutual distrust between the Fishermen’s Cooperative Society and the fish harbour’s administration with regard to agreements which were to be executed by them.

It observed that the chief secretary would take all stakeholders on board and provide a way forward to the commission for cleaning the harbour. It further stated that the object of the commission was to see that no discharge of solid and liquid waste into the sea took place and that an environment friendly atmosphere was created at the shores.

Regarding the installation of treatment plants at the Port Qasim Authority, the commission was informed that industries which were run by the Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry had agreed to install septic tanks or pre-treatment plants or soft tanks as per the standards given in the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014.

A PQA representative submitted that sewerage lines with undersized piplines needed to be replaced and the lines of bigger diametre as and when required would be laid in the areas. He said that sewerage lines for proposed plots which were being allotted were to be laid as the tenders had been invited and work would start after completing the codal formalities.

Representatives of the industries raised serious concern about the water shortage in the industry. The commission directed the member task force to coordinate with the KWSB and make efforts to minimise the grievances of the industries of the Port Qasim Authority.

The PAQ chairman and the industries’ representatives had also volunteered for initiating plantation within and outside the factories for making the port green.

The commission was assured by the industrialists as well as by the PQA that treated water within and outside the industries would be utilised for plantation for which they would take steps on their own to see that treated water should not be discharged into the sea instead it would be utilised for making the port green.

They said they would also examine the need for the two other secondary treatment plants which would cater to the need of two other zones as the present treatment plant took care of only the South West Industrial Zone.

The commission also issued bailable warrants against M/s Marine Pride Shipping Trading Company and M/s Mehmood/Imran Javed for not appearing, and directed the SSP concerned to execute the warrants.

It directed the other factory owners to install treatment plants or septic tanks as per requirements of the law within two months.