Pakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf officially inaugurated the Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at the Karachi tannery cluster area in Korangi Industrial Area on May 26, nearly five years after it was originally due to open and some 11 years since the project was initially developed.

The long-awaited ceremony was attended by Governor of Sindh, Ishratul Ibad khan, Chief Minister of Sindh, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Humayun Aktar Khan, Minister of State & Chief Executive of Trade Development Authority, Tariq Ikram, president of the PTA Environmental Society, Gulzar Firoz, and Sindh Minister for Industries, Muhammad Adil Siddiqui.

Speaking at the event, President Musharraf said that although the project should have been completed much earlier, in view of its significance he hoped that in future many more such plants would be established. He added that the plant was an example of public/private partnership that would greatly benefit the industry and also improve the country's international image, stating, "We must ensure that we are internationally competitive and recognised internationally as being environmentally-friendly."

The plant, which is based on UASB technology with aerobic post treatment process, can now meet the requirements of around 170 small-, medium- and large-sized tanneries. It has the capacity to treat a total of 42,000 cubic metres of wastewater per day including 16,500 cubic metres of tannery waste water and 26,000 cubic metres of domestic wastewater.

The project, which has cost some PRs492 million ($8.112 million), was funded by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan, the Tanners Association (PTA) Southern Zone, the government of the Netherlands, the government of Sindh and the city district government Karachi.

The facility, which was started in 2001, was due to be completed in October 2002 but was delayed due to the necessary funds not being released.