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 over 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 zones under the master plan, primarily to meet developers’ demands.
Divisional administration officials have completed consultations with stakeholders regarding the relocation of industries contributing to air and water pollution within urban areas. Meetings with industrialists and traders over a Charter of Demands are ongoing.
A meeting chaired by Commissioner Faisalabad, Raja Jahangir Anwar, included Director General and Committee Convener Asif Chaudhry, who briefed participants on the consultations.
A city survey identified 187 industries causing significant water and air pollution, and it was recommended that their relocation outside municipal limits be prioritized.
Commissioner Anwar emphasized the importance of a comprehensive departmental strategy to implement the plan effectively. He directed the Revenue Department to provide a report on available government land for establishing 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 shifted. Steps are also planned to move 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 presented to the Governments of Punjab and Pakistan, including proposals for soft loans to industrialists for non-moveable machinery.
The World Bank will also be approached to assist with Pakistan’s first industrial relocation initiative.
