FAISALABAD:
The District Industrial Relocation Committee has written to the District Revenue Collector to identify and allocate government land to relocate hundreds of industrial units out of Faisalabad city, citing the growing adverse effects of industrial pollution on public health.
The committee has been struggling for the past month and a half to find a suitable large plot of land, as a large part of the city’s agricultural land under the master plan has been converted into residential zones, primarily to meet the demands of the developers.
Officials in the departmental administration have conducted consultations with stakeholders regarding the relocation of industries that contribute to air and water pollution in urban areas. Meetings with industrialists and traders about a demand charter are underway.
A meeting chaired by Commissioner Faisalabad Raja Jahangir Anwar included Director General and Committee Convener Asif Chaudhry who briefed the participants on the consultations.
A city survey identified 187 industries that caused significant water and air pollution, and it was recommended that their relocation outside municipal boundaries 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 setting up industrial zones, noting that 1,090.8 kanals of land would be required for industries occupying one hectare or more. In the first phase, 111 highly polluting industrial units will be relocated. Steps are also planned to shift major industries to the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC).
Officials from the Chamber of Commerce and various business associations pledged 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.
The World Bank will also be approached to help with Pakistan’s first industrial relocation initiative.
