EPA to start environmental survey of Hub industries

KARACHI: Environment, Sports and Youth Affairs Balochistan Secretary Dr Shoaib Ahmed Golla has ordered the authorities concerned to speed up monitoring and environmental assessment of the industries in Hub Industrial Area (HIA) in order to ensure compliance of the environmental regulations and make HIA pollution-free industrial zone, a statement said on Friday.

A meeting of the members of the Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) with Dr Golla at LCCI recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Balochistan should gear up its monitoring and facilitating actions in order to get maximum number of industries under the compliance of environmental laws; thus, providing pollution-free environment to the people of Lasbela.

Ismail Suttar, chairman of the LCCI Subcommittee on Environment, said that under the guidance of LCCI President Maqsood Ismail, the chamber is continuously pursuing its members to follow the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) framed under the provisions of environmental laws and a large number of industries received NOCs for operations from EPA.

Now it was the domain of EPA to monitor and guide the industries for execution of mitigation plans and for submission of periodical reports, he said.

He also updated regarding the proceedings with respect to the coverage of Hub Naala and the setting up of Combined Effluent Water Treatment Plant and solid waste management facility at Hub.

Dr Golla advised the industry to execute the mitigation plans suggested in NOCs issued by the EPA and to initiate the process of getting NOCs by those industries who had not received the same within a specified time limit after which the EPA would start taking legal action against them.

Commissioner Kallat Division Dr Muhammad Akbar Harifall and Deputy Commissioner Lasbela Abdul Waheed Shah gave assurance to the participants to provide security not only to the personnel of EPA, but also to the industries in maintaining peaceful and friendly environment to continue industrial operations.

LCCI Vice President Anjum Raffatullah assured the chamber’s cooperation with EPA, Balochistan in getting the maximum compliance from the industries.