Environment Protection Is Collective Responsibility: Acting President FCCI

Environment protection is a collective responsibility and the FCCI and other concerned departments must make joint efforts to achieve this objective, said Dr Sajjad Arshad Acting President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI)

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2024) Environment protection is a collective responsibility and the FCCI and other concerned departments must make joint efforts to achieve this objective, said Dr Sajjad Arshad Acting President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI).

He was talking to a delegation of the Environment Protection Department (EPD) during a meeting in his office here on Tuesday. Shakeel Ahmad Ansari Chairman Sizing Association was also present on the occasion.

Dr Sajjad Arshad said that prior to the new legislation, the powers of de-sealing boilers and imposing fines on polluting industries were rested with the concerned Deputy Commissioner but now these powers had been transferred to the judicial environment commission. This situation was problematic for the industrial sector as they had to repeatedly visit to Lahore for de-sealing their boilers which add additional financial burden on them.

He said that the FCCI will write a letter to the concerned quarters to review this situation, however, the sizing association should also file a writ petition to get relief from the courts.

He also urged the EPD to reconsider the issue of fines in order to facilitate the industrial sector which was passing through a deep crisis.

Shakeel Ahmad Ansari said that he had a meeting with Chief Secretary Punjab who had assured to restore powers of Deputy Commissioners to de-seal boilers and fines on environment pollution.

Assistant Director EPD said that only few industrialists were using prohibited fuel which was deteriorating the environment in addition to invoking departmental action against the industrial sector.

He clarified that most of the fines had been imposed under the recently enacted anti-smog act. Most industrialists had failed to pay the fine which needed the intervention of the FCCI.

He further said that EPD was fully convinced to facilitate the industrial sector but it would not allow them to use prohibited fuel which was injurious to the human health and environment.