Punjab government to help finance Sialkot Tanneries Zone
The Sialkot Tanneries Zone - a new industrial park for tanneries operating in and around Sialkot – is to be part financed by the Punjab government of Pakistan, according to local sources. The cost of the proposed 300-acre site has been estimated at $2 million. The project involves the relocation of some 248 tanneries of different sizes that currently operate in the area. There are nine large tanneries, 79 medium and 160 small-scale.
The relocation of tanneries in and around Sialkot is necessary to cope with the growing problem of pollution. The new Tanneries Zone will eventually be able to handle 18,100 cubic metres per day of wastewater. Along with cleaner technology treatment of effluents, solid waste and sludge management, it is also hoped that the new park will provide an opportunity for an improvement in technical and managerial standards.
As the situation stands, the Punjab government has agreed to provide 75% of the project’s funding as seed money in the form of an interest-free loan while tanners along with the local business community would contribute the other 25%.
