Closure of industries to overcome pollution criticised

FAISALABAD: The president, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Rana Sikandar-e-Azam Khan said closure of industrial units must be declared a “national crime” as it is tantamount to retard national growth in addition to further intensifying unemployment in the country.Addressing a meeting of industrialists belonging to SME sector in the FCCI, Rana Sikandar said the government’s current approach to tackle the smog problem is retrogressive, unilateral and unrealistic. He said local environment protection agency has arbitrarily closed 22 industrial units which were not only contributing their role in the overall economy of the country but also were providing livelihood to thousands of families. He said the government must discuss and evolved alternative measures to control industrial pollution instead of closing them down with a single stroke of pen.He said automobiles playing in every nook and cranny of the country are the major source of carbon emission and a main threat to the environment. He said in several countries closure of industries have already been declared a “major crime”. The FCCI chief said most of export- oriented units have already following the guidelines of Environment Protection Agency (EPA). He urged the government revisit its policies about closing industrial units to reduce smog. He said closure of industry will also be detrimental to the government’s interests and it will directly hit the exports.Meanwhile, Former Vice President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) Engineer Ahmad Hassan Friday said target of ‘one billion tree tsunami’ could be achieved by launching linear tree plantation along 4,260 KM long motorways and 11,881 KM long railway track in the country.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2YpudMD