Efforts by former Federal Minister and senior Pakistan People’s Party leader Dr. Asim Hussain have borne fruit, paving the way for the construction of Combined Effluent Treatment Plants in Karachi’s industrial zones. KWSB has agreed to allocate 7 acres of its land in the North Karachi Industrial Area to the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) for building a CETP to recycle industrial wastewater under a public-private partnership.

A delegation led by NKATI President Faisal Moiz Khan met with KWSB Managing Director Salahuddin yesterday. Also present were KWSB Consultant Bashir Lakhani, NKATI Senior Vice President Shabbir Ismail, and Sajjad Wazir.

Faisal Moiz Khan highlighted that domestic sewage and hazardous industrial waste had caused environmental pollution in the NKATI industrial area and destroyed the marine environment due to solid waste, cattle colony dung, and slaughterhouse effluents. Industrial waste continues to be discharged into the sea without treatment.

He stated that while Sindh lacks modern CETPs—apart from malfunctioning plants in Karachi’s tanneries and Kotri—there has been a persistent effort to establish a CETP in North Karachi to mitigate pollution.

Salahuddin announced the provision of 7 acres of KWSB land in the North Karachi Industrial Area, where a CETP will be installed under a public-private partnership. This plant will recycle industrial wastewater for reuse and prevent untreated waste from entering the sea.

Faisal Moiz Khan further noted that while most large industries have installed their treatment plants, and several tanneries in Karachi send their waste to private CETPs, the establishment of a CETP in North Karachi is a direct result of Dr. Asim Hussain’s efforts. His initiatives will eventually lead to the installation of CETPs across all industrial zones in Karachi.