The Federal Minister for Environment Samina Khalid Ghurki has said that the industrial sector should play its due role to meet environmental obligations of the country. It must take a step ahead to bring a green revolution in the country by following environment friendly practices. She expressed these views while chairing a meeting on the use of shredded tyres as alternate fuel in the cement industry, here on Monday.
Acting Secretary Environment Farid Ullah Khan, Provincial Director Generals Pak-EPA, high officials of the Ministry of Environment, representatives of FBR, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and members from other relevant departments attended the meeting. The Federal Minister said that environment should be the top priority of every sector in the country. Industrial sector has to play a pivotal role in providing the desired stimulus and support to the efforts of the government to successfully overcome environmental challenges faced today. She said that rapidly changing socio-economic scenarios place greater responsibilities on the business community to set and pursue environmental strategies that will generate self sustaining eco-friendly processes. The Minister was of the view that a rapidly increasing volume of hazardous emissions from industrial activities is threatening to the life cycle on this planet. Serious initiatives must be taken to introduce environment friendly technologies in the country.
During the meeting, it was observed that the usage of shredded tyres as alternative fuel releases hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere. International experience indicates that using tyres to generate energy is environmentally sound only if it is carried out under controlled conditions such as complete combustion of tyres, adequate air pollution controls and proper maintenance of plants amongst others. It was also observed that National Environmental Quality Standards should be taken in account and there is a dire need to revise them on a priority basis. On this occasion, the viability of using Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF) as an energy source was also observed. There was an agreement upon the need to develop policy guidelines and a regulatory framework in this regard. Attention was also drawn to the necessary development of specific standards for up-gradation and modernization of industry for the use of TDF.
