LAHORE: Almost all the industrial units operating in the largest province of the country—Punjab, are violating the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS) by disposing of untreated wastewater in drains flowing nearby them, Pakistan Today has learnt.
This has been revealed in recent laboratory test reports of Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are being prepared after collecting wastewater samples of industries operating in different districts of the province.
Punjab is currently facing numerous environmental issues including rising level of air pollution, land pollution and water pollution. The disposal of untreated wastewater by industries needs the attention of authorities, but instead of taking action against the violators, the authorities remain reluctant to pursue decisive measures against them.
Currently, thousands of small, medium and large industrial units including multinational groups are operating in the province. However, Punjab industrial department has no updated record of them.
Sources informed Pakistan Today, that Punjab EPA’s laboratories have remained dysfunctional for more than five years. Due to this, EPA could not monitor the industries and failed to prepare data of different industrial effluents and other hazardous elements, they said.
After the orders of Lahore High Court, EPA made its laboratories re-functional, which were situated in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura and Rahim Yar Khan.
An official told this correspondent that initially, these laboratories were given the task to test wastewater being disposed by the industrial units operating in said districts and for that purpose, laboratory staff was provided with necessary chemicals. He said that there were 32 parameters for wastewater but such chemicals can produce a test for seven basic parameters. “Every laboratory staff was assigned to prepare wastewater tests of 50 industrial units in their respective districts,” he added.
According to sources, all the laboratories have completed the wastewater tests of 50 industrial units on initial level and they will soon submit their reports to the EPA headquarter in Lahore.
Pakistan Today received the information regarding the one of the famous industrial district, Sheikhupura, exposing not a single industrial unit had complied with the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards.
In Sheikhupra district, there are around 900 small and large industrial units operating. However, EPA completed tests reports of 50 units which include multinational groups like Nestle Pakistan Ltd, ICI Pakistan Ltd and other paper mills. The report revealed that all the 50 industrial units were found violating the section 11 of Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997.
In a laboratory report, the hazardous pollutants in wastewater of world’s renowned multinational company Nestle were found exceeding than the Punjab environmental quality standards (PEQS).
Other industrial units where tests of wastewater were conducted and were found to be violating section 11 of PEPA act included Mandiali paper mills, AA paper mills, Hasan paper and Board Mills, Gold Paper Mills, Masha Allah paper mills, Bashir pipe industries, Mughal Steels, Sufi Soap Industries, Sufi Ghee Mills, Tariq Glass Industries, Ghani Glass Industries, Balochistan Glass Industries, Premier Paper Mills, Ittehad Chemicals and others.
Sources said that the test reports for other larger groups like Atlas Honda and Nishat Mills Limited were under process which would be compiled soon.
Waseem Ahsan Cheema said that EPA headquarter in Lahore has started receiving reports from EPA’s laboratories. He said that the department will soon serve notices for hearing to those found violating the laws. Cheema maintained that EPA will not be influenced by any industrialist.
However, another responsible official claimed that EPA has started sending cases to the environmental tribunal for legal proceedings.
