Effluent treatment plants to be made mandatory for industry

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD: Hinting at withdrawal of powers from provincial environmental protection agencies (EPAs) in case of failure in implementing environmental laws, Minister for Environment Hamidullah Jan Afridi Wednesday said, effluent treatment plants would be made mandatory for industry by the end of year. “We are seriously considering these issues. We shall bring amendments in EPA laws and the provincial EPAs that would fail to deliver, would suffer withdrawal of powers to central EPA,” he told media persons after CDA’s tree plantation inaugural ceremony. “The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would then exercise powers of provincial EPAs to directly operate for implementation of laws,” he explained. The minister was asked why the laws were not properly being implemented at provincial level and when the government would ensure installation of effluent treatment plants for industry to check environmental degradation. The minister said the government would ensure that by the end of year, every industry had an effluent treatment plant and every hospital installs incinerators to treat the hospital waste. “Waste treatment is a big challenge for the country and the government would start eight to nine solid waste treatment projects during this National Year of Environment,” he added. app

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