Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) will open its offices in each district of Karachi to make environmental monitoring more effective in the metropolis.
This was decided in a review meeting of in-charges of all districts of the city held here on Friday under the chairmanship of Secretary Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department Government of Sindh, Khan Muhammad Mahar.
Presently all district in-charges and their technical staff work from SEPA headquarters at Korangi Industrial Area for the environmental monitoring of their respective districts. Owing to lack of sufficient logistic and manpower facilities all districts are not as extensively covered for the protection of their environment as they could have been so if their monitoring staff remains there to keep vigil for effective control of pollution. Therefore, Secretary Environment directed all district in-charges to explore any suitable place in their district initially on rental basis and shift their staff and office equipment there after obtaining necessary approval.
Earlier in another meeting with the representatives of plastic manufacturers association, Secretary directed the field staff of SEPA to keep monitoring shops and markets to check use of prohibited shopping bags. In his opening remarks he said that Advisor to CM Sindh on Law, Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Barrister Murtuza Wahab is closely monitoring the implementation on ban on plastic bags and he has strictly directed to take across-the-board action against the violators of subject ban.
It was also decided in the meeting that collection points shall be set at various spots of the city to collect used shopping bags for their safe recycling for further use in manufacturing of plastic products. Moreover, on the occasion of New Year awareness messages to make people avoid using prohibited plastic bags shall be publicized through outdoor publicity and social media to divert attention of public on this important issue.
It was also decided that a committee headed by Additional DG SEPA Waqar Hussain Phulpoto and comprising of all district in-charges shall be constituted to review on weekly basis status of the implementation on ban on plastic bags.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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