The Sindh Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has submitted final challans against 10 tanneries with Sindh Environment Tribunal for violating environment laws in the light of warnings of European Union to cancel export orders from the tanners discharging toxic waste without proper treatment, Business Recorder learnt on Wednesday.
These tanners are accused of discharging effluent waste despite the fact that an effluent treatment plant (ETP) has been established by Tanners Association of Pakistan, Sepa officials said, and added that the tanners' association had also recommended stern action those violating the environmental rules and regulations.
The officials said that in case these tanners were convicted of violating environment norms heavy fine could be imposed on them while there were also chances that these tanneries might be closed. But such strict punishment is unlikely to be awarded to these factories in initial stage, they added.
It is learnt that of 200 tanneries working in Karachi, only 100 are discharging waste after treating it through ETP, while the remaining 100 are still discharging toxic waste without treatment. The environmentalists hope that at last Sepa steps may stop further degradation of environment.