Muhammad Saleem

Smog has become a serious issue in Faisalabad, affecting not only the environment but also the industrial backbone of this vibrant city. Mr. Ahmed, owner of a sizing unit, told WealthPK that local industrialists were facing difficulties in maintaining production, as smog was creating serious hurdles.

“We are unable to dry our beams used for weaving and are finding ways to get rid of the situation. However, the district administration is demolishing the establishments, claiming that these are polluting the environment. Instead of tearing down the million-rupee construction, the district administration can seal the factories that fail to comply with the environmental regulations,” he said. Sensing the situation, the Sizing Industry Association announced a strike against the district administration.

However, the strike was called off when senior officials assured that the establishments would not be demolished. He said the smog situation in Faisalabad was dire, significantly reducing the production rates. Poor visibility has forced many manufacturing units to operate at a snail’s pace, particularly during the early morning and evening hours. Like the sizing units, he said the spinning and weaving units were also struggling to keep their operations going.

Tariq Mehmood, a boiler supervisor, told WealthPK that the industrialists were facing multiple challenges due to the expensive energy, high cost of raw material and smog. He said smog was badly hampering the production process, and the district administration’s threats regarding the closure of smoke-emitting units were worsening the situation.

He said some of the officials had even sealed those units which had nothing to do with smoke emission. The officials did this only to show their performance to their high-ups and avoid the wrath of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. “We are not in a position to run our machinery to the optimum level, fearing the government officials could impose heavy fines and seal our units any time. The closure of units and heavy fines will cost us an arm and a leg,” he said.

An officer of the district administration said it was wrong to raid factories just to show performance. He said action was being taken against those units polluting the environment. “We cannot allow unscrupulous elements to endanger the lives of fellow citizens by contributing to the already hazardous environment,” he added. He said the district was facing the smog issue due to the deadly combination of industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, and agricultural burning in the surrounding regions. He emphasized that everyone must help the government tackle this menace, which required a comprehensive approach.

Ahmed said low productivity will cause delays in processing the export orders, which will make their financial position more fragile. He emphasized that instead of only penalizing the industry, the government must focus on the economic ramifications. He said small and medium enterprises were walking a tightrope in the current circumstances, as some owners were considering closing their units temporarily, which would lead to widespread unemployment in the district. Some factory owners have reduced the working hours rather than laying off workers or temporarily shutting down their units, he added.

Credit: INP-WealthPk