Necessary arrangements are being finalised for setting up an ultra modern Tanneries Zone on 384 acres of land costing Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) in Sialkot.
Official sources on Wednesday told Business Recorder here the Punjab government will provide Rs 30 crore (Rs 300 million) while stakeholders would contribute Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million) in this tanneries zone project and land had been acquired for the proposed project.
The project of Sialkot tanneries zone would be completed in stipulated period of one year. After the completion of the project all existing tanneries would be shifted into the zone. The accomplishment of tanneries zone would help reduce the degree of pollution caused by the tanneries zone and protect the agriculture land and marine life from the rapid threats of pollution.
The step was being taken to tackle with growing pollution threats caused by the functioning of ill-planned tanneries in and close to Sialkot, which are not only posing serious threats to human life, but cause of degrading the environmental conditions.
An affluent water treatment plant would also be installed with the help and assistance of donor agencies in the tanneries 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 disclosed that over 90 million-meter leather is being annually manufactured and annually consumption of chemical is 65,000 ton used for leather processing tanneries in the country. The tanneries industry are using 40,000 tons of toxic chemicals of which 9600 tons 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 sources added.