Necessary arrangements are being finalised for setting up an industrial zone for tanneries at Sialkot aimed at shifting the existing tanneries into the zone.
Official sources told Business Recorder on Sunday here that the proposed Industrial Zone for Tanneries Sialkot would be developed on 300 acres of land and the Punjab government has allocated Rs 781.4 million for the proposed project of tanneries zone Sialkot.
In addition to this, water treatment plant would also be installed with the active support and co-operation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in industrial zone for tanneries Sialkot.
The aim of establishing industrial zone for tanneries is to shift all existing tanneries into zone because the proposed zone would be fully equipped with common treatment plant for controlling effluent and solid waste of tanneries.
Currently 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 government has taken the step to cope with the pollution threats caused by the ill-planned establishment of tanneries in and close to Sialkot are posing serious threats to human life and gradually degrading the environmental conditions.
The present government has determined and focused its attention on coping with the constant threats of industrial pollution in the Punjab.
For this purpose the government has introduced "Self Monitoring and Reporting Tool" (Smart) programme in the industrial units for self-monitoring and self-evaluation of pollution in the Punjab.
These measures have been adapted to enabling the business community to fulfil the demands and requirements of World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime, which is fast approaching.
The regular functioning of industrial zone for tanneries would not help in reducing pollution load in tanneries cluster area but also improve the degraded environmental condition caused by the tanneries.
Apart from this inhabitants living in tanneries cluster area would be benefited directly as well as help protect agricultural land, sub-soil water from contamination and save the marine life.
The leather and leather-based industries are the key export-oriented sector fetching more than US 600 million dollars annually.
In recent past the development of leather industry on modern lines is most imperative not only for its survival but also for the socio-economic development of the country.
The Sialkot based leather industry has gained momentum in the past couple of decades and more than 500 leather and leather products manufacturing units are working in and around Sialkot.