Necessary arrangements are being finalised to set up an ultra modern Tanneries Zone on 384 acres of land in Sialkot costing Rs40 crore. Official sources on Sunday told Business Recorder that Punjab government will provide Rs30 crore while stakeholders would contribute Rs10 crore to this tanneries zone project.
After the completion of the project all existing tanneries would be shifted into the zone. The step was being taken to cope with growing pollution threats caused by functioning of ill-planned tanneries in and close to Sialkot, which was not only posing serious threats to human life but was also degrading the environmental conditions.
An affluent water treatment plant would also be installed with the help and assistance of donor agencies in this zone. The accomplishment of the project would not only ensure pollution-free environment to the dwellers living in tanneries cluster, but also help in protecting agricultural land, sub-soil water from contamination and save the marine life.
Sources further disclosed that over 90 million-metre leather is being annually manufactured and annually consumption of chemical is 65,000 tones used for leather processing tanneries in the country. The tanneries industry are using 40,000 tons of toxic chemicals of which 9600 tones chemicals are used and consumed in Sialkot tanneries.
At present in Sialkot, as many as 248 tanneries of different sizes are functioning in and close to Sialkot, of which, nine large, 79 medium and 160 small tanneries are functioning in the area. 'The step has been taken to enable the business community to fulfil the demands and requirements of World Trade Organisation (WTO), regime and fast changing global challenges more easily.
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