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ISLAMABAD, Oct 30 (APP):The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), in collaboration with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration, has sealed several marble factories near Sector B-17 for violating environmental regulations and contributing to worsening air quality in the federal capital.
The action forms part of an ongoing crackdown against industrial pollution and smog in Islamabad, said Ministry spokesperson on Thursday.
Talking to APP on Thursday, he said the non-compliant units were found operating without adequate dust-control measures in breach of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.
The operation was led by Khalid Mehmood Chadhar, Director (EIA/Monitoring), and Muhammad Ramazan, Deputy Director (Legal/Enforcement), under the supervision of Nazia Zeb Ali, Director General of Pak-EPA.
The inspection, carried out in the presence of a magistrate, revealed that several factories had ignored repeated warnings and notices from the authorities.
Director General Nazia Zeb Ali said that emissions from marble cutting and polishing were a major source of dust and fine particulate matter, aggravating smog and posing health risks.
“Industrial units must adopt effective pollution-control technologies and comply with the National Environmental Quality Standards to protect public health and Islamabad’s environment,” she said, adding that Environmental Protection Orders (EPOs) had been issued against the violators.
She reaffirmed Pak-EPA’s commitment to strict enforcement of environmental laws and urged industries to shift to cleaner, sustainable practices in line with the government’s anti-smog drive.