Authorities in Faisalabad have begun planning the relocation of hundreds of industrial units from the city in an effort to reduce the growing impact of industrial pollution on public health.
The District Industrial Relocation Committee has written to the District Revenue Collector asking for the identification and allocation of state land to establish new industrial zones outside the city.
The committee has spent the past month and a half searching for a suitable large parcel of land. However, much of the city’s agricultural land has been converted into residential zones under the master plan 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 regarding a Charter of Demands are ongoing.
The matter was reviewed in a meeting chaired by Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar. Director General and Committee Convener Asif Chaudhry briefed participants on the consultations.
A survey identified 187 industries causing significant water and air pollution, and officials recommended prioritizing their relocation outside municipal limits.
Commissioner Anwar directed the Revenue Department to provide a report on available government land for establishing industrial zones. Officials said 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. Plans are also underway 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 said the committee’s recommendations will be presented to the Governments of Punjab and Pakistan, including proposals for soft loans for industrialists to relocate non-moveable machinery.
The World Bank will also be approached to support what officials describe as Pakistan’s first industrial relocation initiative.