FAISALABAD:
The District Industrial Relocation Committee has written to the District Revenue Collector to identify and allocate state land for shifting hundreds of industrial units out of Faisalabad city, citing the growing adverse effects of industrial pollution on public health.
The committee has struggled for the past month and a half to locate a suitable large parcel of land, as much of the city’s agricultural land has been converted into residential areas under the master plan, mainly to meet developers’ demands.
Divisional administration officials have completed consultations with stakeholders on relocating industries that contribute to air and water pollution within urban areas. Meetings continue with industrialists and merchants regarding a Letter of Demands.
A meeting chaired by Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar was attended by Director General and Convener of the Committee, Asif Chaudhry, who briefed the participants about the consultations.
A city survey identified 187 industries causing significant water and air pollution, and it was recommended that they be prioritized for relocation outside municipal boundaries.
Commissioner Anwar emphasized the importance of a comprehensive departmental strategy to implement the plan effectively. It directed the Revenue Department to provide a report on government land available for setting up industrial zones, noting that 1,090.8 kanals of land would be required for industries occupying one acre or more. In the first phase, 111 highly polluting industrial units will be moved. Measures are also planned to shift large industries to the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC).
Officials from the Chamber of Commerce and various business associations assured their support for the plan.
The Commissioner stated that recommendations would be submitted to the governments of Punjab and Pakistan, including proposals for soft loans to industrialists for non-movable machinery.
Assistance will also be sought from the World Bank in Pakistan’s first industrial relocation initiative.
