Sepa has zero tolerance for officials harassing people or institutions: Murtaza Wahab

Sindh Environment and Law Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said they have a zero tolerance policy against any government officials involved in harassing a person of an institution in the name of the provincial environment department.

It is worth mentioning here that the industrial and commercial establishments in Karachi often complains that officials of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) often resorts to exploitative and unfair means against them to mint money under the pretext of imposing provincial environmental laws.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Wahab said the provincial environment department should enhance its ties with the associations of the industrialists in Sindh in order to take firm action against the violators of the environmental laws.

Barrister Wahab directed the Sepa director-general to depute officials of the agency for every industrial estate in the province for taking action against the violators of environmental laws in all zones.

He sought assistance of the associations of the industrialists and fishermen to identify the violators of the environmental laws, saying that as for the purpose they should remain in contact with the relevant government authorities.

He said every person and institution was under moral obligation to fully conform to the environmental laws, saying the “issues relate to very survival and longevity of the human and other living creatures on the planet earth”.

Meeting

Sindh Minister for Human Settlement and Special Development Ghulam Murtaza Baloch met with Barrister Wahab in his office. MNA Sardar Jam Abdul Karim Bijar also attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed the issue of loss to the environment and farmers of District Malir due to the constant discharge of industrial effluents into the Malir River. Barrister Wahab said an action would be taken against the people involved in causing pollution in the Malir River. In this regard, he added, the Sindh government fully sided with the farmers of the Malir District.