Pakistan tanners urged to contribute to effluent plant
The Pakistan Tanners’ Association (PTA) is urging the owners of tanneries in the Korangi industrial area to make up the shortfall in funds of PRs32.5 million ($545,302) required from tannery owners to set up the combined effluent treatment plant (CETP) in the area. Although 70% of the of the effluent plant in the Korangi area – which has the highest concentration of tanneries – has been completed, construction has come to a halt due to a lack of funds.
According to a survey carried out in 1999, the area boasted 630 drums, 374 dye and finishing facilities, and 318 pits and paddle facilities. Based on these figures, it was agreed that tannery owners should contribute PRs136 million of the overall PRs500 million cost of the plant. Although several tanneries have ceased trading since the survey was conducted, some 85 tanneries have defaulted on their payments which has resulted in a large deficit in funds and an incomplete plant.
Addressing a meeting the general secretary of the PTA, Mian Eshan Ellahi, urged the owners of these 85 tanneries to fulfil their obligations to allow the completion of the project. Advisor to the Sindh Chief Minister of environment and alternative energy, Mohammad Noman Saigal, warned the tanneries that have defaulted that they will be penalised if they fail to pay their contributions in full and that the department will take action against them. “We will definitely cease operations at four to five tanneries in the fourth week of November,” he said. Apparently this action would have occurred earlier but for the holy month of Ramadan.
The Korangi effluent treatment plant is the largest environmental project in the country and is being built at a cost of PRs500 million, of which PRs336 million (68%) was provided by the Export Promotion Board; PRs136 million ((27-28%) by the Pakistan Tanneries Association (PTA); PRs22 million (4.5%) by the Sindh government; and 3% in the form of technical assistance from the Dutch government. 69% of the total funds have already been released and only the 85 tanneries mentioned above – who have also failed to cooperate with the Environment Protection Agency concerning releasing effluent into the sea - have reneged on the agreement.
The projected capacity of the CETP is 43,000 cubic metres per day, of which 16,500 cubic metres per day will be tannery effluent. At present 170 tanneries are releasing untreated waste into the sea via Korangi Creek. Mr Ellahi said that it is a matter of grave concern that 50% of tanneries are not cooperating with the construction of the plant and their attitude highlighted “how environmentally unaware we are when the country is about to enter the post-WTO regime.”
