The Marine Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has given green signal to the Ministry of Environment (MoE) to take legal action against those industrial units who violate the marine protection laws. This was stated by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping, Babar Ghauri, after chairing second meeting of the Board at KPT Head Office here on Saturday.
The minister was flanked by Director General Ports and Shipping Rear Admiral (Retd) Syed Afzal, KPT Chairperson Nasrin Haque and officials from the ministry of environment, CDGK, KWSB, DHA, Pakistan Navy, Air Force and other related departments.
Concerned over more than 8,000 tons of solid waste and over 412 MGD wastewater falling daily untreated into the Arabia Sea, Ghauri said the Board had decided that the KWSB would start work on the much-awaited Rs 8 billion S-III project "immediately" with a four-year completion deadline. Terming industries, 60 percent of which are based in this industrial hub, as major source of untreated discharges, the minister said the Board also gave go-ahead to the MoE to issue notices to the sea-polluting industries indiscriminately.
According to Ghuari, to safeguard the country's 990-kilometre coastline Islamabad, through federal and provincial environment ministries, would soon table a bill in the parliament to amend the relevant laws. The rampant usage of polythene bags in the country was another phenomenon that the minister underlined while expressing concern over the fate of pollution-hit Karachi Harbour.
He said the MPCB also supported to mobilise the NGOs for creating awareness among the masses about marine pollution, as seafood items, like fish, were also likely to be poisoned by the industrial and municipal toxics. Ghauri said the fishing and passenger boats at Karachi Harbour would also be restricted through issuance of notices in case of oil leakages. The minister said that the KPT's Keamari Coal Terminal would soon be upgraded to international standards to avoid environmental hazard.