Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association (PGMEA) chairman Shaikh Abdul Waheed Sandal has stated that pollution from tanneries has been reduced by about 40% in Sialkot city, following the successful implementation of anti-pollution policies and the use of the 'cleaner production techniques'. He said that the PGMEA has joined forces with the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) to set up a Leather Production Development Institute (LPDI) and Cleaner Production Centre (CPC) in Sialkot. The main idea of setting up this institute was to provide skilled manpower to the industry, as well as enhancing production and the quality of leather goods to international standards. Mr Sandal said that the PGMEA is also meeting its environmental requirements.
He said the CPC is a joint project between the governments of Pakistan and Norway in order to counteract the pollution caused by tanneries. He claimed that the LPDI and CPC were the first projects of their kind in Pakistan to be set up with the financial assistance and technical support of Norway. He said the major achievements of the CPC project so far have been the establishment of a chrome recovery plant, an analytical testing laboratory, the introduction of a solid waste disposal system, and the implementation of 'cleaner production techniques' in the city. Mr Sandal said that as a direct result of the CPC, the Punjab government has released a special grant of PRs95 million ($1,599,326 million) for setting up a tannery zone near Sambrial.
