SIALKOT, PAKISTAN: With the financial and technical support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Export Development Fund (EDF-GoP), and the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) jointly delivered Pakistan’s first fully integrated Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at the Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ).
“Environmental compliance is no longer an option but a prerequisite for global trade”, said Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Defense Minister of Pakistan and Chief Guest of the inauguration ceremony. “The CETP will resolve the longstanding constraint of environmental non-compliance, allowing Sialkot’s leather sector to protect Pakistan’s GSP+ status and achieve Leather Working Group (LWG) certification”.
For the Sialkot Tannery Association (STAGL), the new state-of-the-art facility will allow pre-treatment as well as primary, secondary, and sludge treatment stages while ensuring full adherence to both the National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) and the prevailing international standards.
“The Sialkot Tannery Zone (STZ) is a very large public-private partnership that seeks to relocate 250 tanneries from the congested city centre to a dedicated industrial zone, and the CETP will be its cornerstone”, said Ahmed Zulfiqar, CEO of the tannery association. “Unlike conventional treatment facilities, this plant represents a complete technological solution that can increase leather exports by 18-23% in the short term, with the potential to double in the long run”.
In addition to the CETP, other critical infrastructure improvements within the zone were presented, including a segregated drainage system (storm water, beam house, and post-tanning effluents) and a 21 MW Grid Station. Furthermore, significant progress on a Chrome Recovery Plant and an Engineered Landfill Site for solid waste management was recorded.
“I am confident that the Sialkot Tannery Zone will serve the industry sustainably for many years to come”, said Ivan Kral, UNIDO Project Manager. “The project focuses on two key components, namely infrastructure development and policy strengthening. It is in this spirit that we just launched the ‘Guidelines for Assessment of Leather Environmental Footprint’ that offer practical recommendations to harmonize existing standards in order to further enable the leather sector to enhance its environmental transparency and align with international best practices”.
Overarchingly, the project is expected to contribute to building the resilience of the local community against climate change and help secure a sustainable future for Pakistan’s leather industry. Furthermore, it is expected that 25 to 30 percent more new job opportunities will be created, including many positions reserved for women.
The event was attended by numerous high-level representatives, including provincial ministers, members of parliament, and the Deputy Commissioner of Sialkot.
