Fawad Jawed demands of Chief Minister to include Tannery Zone’s approved Reverse Osmosis Plants in order to save leather and leather goods exports that have been threatened due to non-supply of water

Karachi, August 05, 2014 (PPI-OT): The Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) SZ, Fawad Jawed has demanded of the Chief Minister to include Tannery Zone’s approved RO (Reverse Osmosis) Plants in order to save leather and leather goods exports that have been threatened due to non-supply of water, the basic raw material for leather industry.

In a statement he said that, Governor Sindh had released an amount of Rs44 million to Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), for laying water trunk main for supply of 5 MGD water to leather industry. The KWSB has, however did not release water in to the pipelines laid for the purpose despite a firm commitment. The pipeline is feared to be cracked badly due to non-supply of water for the last two years and Rs44 million have almost gone wasted.

Pakistan Tanners Association (S.Z) extremely condemned the pathetic attitude by the high ups of KWSB for squandering precious resources without achieving results from installation of 5 MGD water pipeline in the area for supply of water to the cluster of leather industries.

The pipeline has been laid for over two ago but the water is yet to be released into the pipeline due to which the pipeline has started rusting. Fawad while sending a SOS to the Governor Sindh, Dr Eshratul Ebad Khan to intervene into the matter and get the project accomplished by KWSB and release water into the mains so that the water-intensive exporting leather industry may survive from total collapse.

He said that the Tannery Zone in KIA is not getting water from KWSB for over a decade and the only source of water was from underground wells that are drying up fast. He further stated that now the industrial estate faces a drought like situation.

KWSB continues to deny supply of water to the biggest national cluster of leather and its made-ups, which contributes to over 35% of total exports of national leather industry. The huge funds given to the KWSB by the Governor Sindh from his special funds for this project appears to have been wasted since KWSB despite laying two kilometre long 12 inches dia pipeline from Tannery Zone to Chamra Roundabout while Rs Plants committed by KWSB are yet to be installed.

As the water crisis in Tannery Zone has worsened, Fawad Jawed and has earnestly appealed to the Governor Sindh and Minister for Local Government, Sharjeel Memon to come to the rescue and include four RO plants’ installation in Tannery Zone as they have already been approved and PC-I is lying with the KWSB.

For more information, contact:
Moinuddin Quraishi
Secretary
Pakistan Tanners Association
46-C, 21st Commercial Street,
Phase II, Extn., Defence Housing Authority,
Karachi-75500 – Pakistan.
Tel: +92-21-35880180, 35880184, 35899819,
Fax: 92-21-35880093
Email: info@pakistantanners.org