Committee to set standards for industrial waste pre-treatment plants.

KARACHI -- Murtaza Wahab, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development has announced formation of an experts' committee to set standards for industrial waste pre-treatment plants in the metropolis.

During a meeting with the office bearers of Karachi, he said government was committed to ensuring absolute compliance of international standards related to safe disposal of industrial effluent, generated by concerned units. Reiterating that each local industrial unit is legally required to necessarily treat the effluent, hazardous and non hazardous accordingly as well as liquid and solid, he said with a view to facilitate the process a committee is being be set up, comprising a representative from each industrial association of Karachi along with those of KWSB, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and a few independent but certified environmental experts.

Focus of the committee was said to ensure that efficient treatment of liquid and semi-liquid effluent flown into the water bodies, mainly sea in particular context of Karachi is ensured. Barrister Murtaza Wahab, seeking early formation of the proposed committee, said he expected its members to develop standards, within a week's time for the pre-treatment plants which will individually be installed by each industry before releasing its effluent into the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) for final treatment prior to letting it flow into the sea.

The Advisor to the Chief Minister said efforts must be expedited to initiate action for the installation of CETP with the collaboration and support of federal government and industrial associations so that the process of industrial effluent...