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KARACHI, May 21 (APP):The provincial Secretary Environment, Climate Change & Coastal Development Department Agha Shah Nawaz on Wednesday said the Sindh Govt has decided to introduce a Smart Surveillance System to control environmental pollution.
Addressing the 5th major meeting on environment change, industrial pollution and coastal protection organized by FPCCI, Agha Shah Nawaz said the digitalization is the need of the hour, and the department aims to launch an automated system within a year. The system will identify old, smoke-emitting vehicles and issue e-challans in coordination with the traffic police.
The meeting was attended by DG SEPA Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, Director Natural Resources Imran Sabir, industrialists, transporters, environmental experts, and other stakeholders.
FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon expressed concern that while efforts are being made to boost exports, smaller factories cannot afford wastewater treatment plants due to the high cost of doing business. He urged the government to form a comprehensive strategy to support them. “If we don’t act now, we risk losing GSP+ status,” he warned.
DG SEPA Waqar Hussain Phulpoto stressed that industrialists must fully comply with the Sindh Environmental Protection Act. He emphasized that industrial waste, particularly wastewater, should only be discharged after proper treatment and that hazardous waste must be incinerated through appropriate plants. He also noted that SEPA’s vehicular emission campaign is ongoing and that monitoring of industrial vehicles will commence soon.
Environmental experts highlighted that the rapid destruction of mangroves due to water shortages is threatening marine life. Mangroves, they said, are vital for protecting marine biodiversity and shielding coastal areas from natural disasters.
Responding to these concerns, Secretary Agha Shah Nawaz stated that discussions around marine life often ignore the harsh reality faced by coastal communities. “Fisher folk are suffering from hunger, disease, and unemployment,” he said. “Severe water shortages in Sindh’s coastal regions and the drying up of the delta have put human lives at risk. A 53% reduction in water flow has been recorded at Kotri Barrage,” he added.
Agha Shah Nawaz proposed the formation of an emergency integrated committee comprising industrialists, experts, transporters, solid waste management bodies, and other stakeholders to devise an effective national strategy. He further stated that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a powerful tool that can drive coordinated environmental change, provided it is implemented sincerely.