Islamabad industrial area: Pepa plans to overcome environmental degradation

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) has finalised the documents pertaining to second phase of the industrial survey in the Islamabad industrial area, sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday.
Sources said that Pepa has completed all the formalities for carrying out survey and was about to initiate it, but considering the political situation in the country, it has delayed the exercise.
"The survey would be conducted when the political situation will be stable in the country", added the sources. Sharing the details of the first phase of the survey, sources said that in 2006 Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Pepa to find out if the factories in the Islamabad industrial area conformed to the environmental regulations.
To comply with the orders, all industrial and commercial units, located in I-9 and I-10 sectors, which were eligible for the compliance to National Environmental Qualities Standard (NEQS) under S.R.O. No 528(1)/2001, Self-Monitoring & Reporting by Industries Rule, 2001, were requested to submit the required information. After gathering the data, Pepa identified the areas needed to be monitored.
"Almost eight industries, which include marble, ghee, soap, pharmaceutical, auto workshops and so on, were identified in the first phase, causing emission and degrading the environment", said the sources. In the second phase, Pepa would focus on these industries and collect further details.
After gathering all the required information, the Pepa would take action or suggest measures to overcome the environmental degradation, said the sources.
Sources further added that there were eight steel furnaces in the industrial areas, which emitted more than one ton of particulate matter each day. Galvanising, marble cutting, grinding units also contributed a lot in causing pollution, they said.
"However, in the master plan of Islamabad, a buffer zone was provided between industrial and residential areas of sector I-9/I-10, which was converted into commercial area. By doing so, the polluting industry became central point surrounded by the populated area", said the sources.
The industrial area has neither any facility of wastewater treatment nor any area has been designated for dumping of the industrial waste, sources said. If the survey will be a success, then Pepa would expand it and would include other industrial areas too.