In Karachi, Pakistan, the Caretaker Chief Minister, Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar, chaired a meeting during which he issued several directives to the industries department. One of his key instructions was for the industries department to commence inspections of industrial units to identify and address safety hazards within these production facilities.
The interim Chief Minister also instructed the industries department to establish a combined effluent treatment plant at the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) in order to effectively remove toxic chemicals from industrial waste before it is discharged into the sewerage system. This measure is crucial as toxic industrial waste, when released directly into the sewerage system, ultimately finds its way into water bodies such as the Korangi, Malir, and Lyari nullahs, eventually contaminating the sea and entering the food chain.
Furthermore, Justice Baqar emphasized the need to digitalize the record of all plots in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) and smaller industrial estates. He also called for the activation of the printing and stationary wing to facilitate the printing of textbooks.
During the meeting, Minister for Industries Younis Dhaga informed the Chief Minister that there are approximately 4,000 registered industrial units under the purview of the industries department. He highlighted that the Nooriabad Industrial Estate lacked firefighting arrangements and proper health facilities, which prompted the Chief Minister to instruct the Chief Secretary to either connect the Rescue 1122 facility to industrial areas or provide them with fire tenders and establish health facilities at these industrial estates.
Justice Baqar expressed concern that many industrial estates had hospitals that were not functioning effectively. He emphasized the need for the industries department to actively address these issues, especially in the wake of the Baldia Factory tragedy.
The interim Chief Minister stressed the importance of conducting inspections in all industrial units to identify safety hazards, as many of them lacked proper hazard prevention and control systems. He also pointed out that some industrial plots had been illegally converted into warehouses, urging necessary action to be taken in such cases.
Justice Baqar further noted that many industries were not paying their workers the minimum wage and were denying them overtime pay. He emphasized that these issues could be resolved through inspections and directed the industries department to develop a standardized inspection proforma to comprehensively cover safety concerns, building conditions, and worker facilities.
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