How to Report Pollution to Sindh EPA Online or by Phone
Report factory smoke, effluent, noise or dumped waste to Sindh EPA. Register on the SEPA portal, call 021-35065950, and go to the Tribunal after 30 days.
To report pollution in Sindh, register on the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) complaint portal at epa.sindh.gov.pk/complains with your CNIC, mobile number and district, then file the complaint from your dashboard. If the portal fails, call SEPA's Karachi head office on 021-35065950.
Smoke from a factory chimney, black water running into a nala, a generator thumping all night, a pile of hospital waste dumped on an empty plot. All of these fall under the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, and SEPA is the body that enforces it across the province.
We opened the SEPA complaint pages on 3 October 2026 and read the registration form field by field. We also read the Act itself in the Sindh Government Gazette of 20 March 2014. One warning up front: the portal's login page returned a server error each time we tried it that afternoon, so keep the phone numbers below handy.
SEPA takes complaints from any person in Sindh
You do not need to be a lawyer, a neighbour of record or a registered body. Section 6(2)(a) of the Act lets SEPA start an inquiry or investigation into an environmental issue on its own or "upon complaint from any person or organization". That is your legal footing.
The Act's own definitions show how wide this is. Pollution covers air, land and water. Noise includes vibration. Waste includes hospital waste, industrial waste, municipal waste and used polythene bags. So a complaint about a marble cutter's dust is as valid as one about a chemical plant.
| Problem | What the Act says | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Factory smoke or effluent above standards | Section 11 bars discharges and emissions above the Sindh Environmental Quality Standards | SEPA portal or regional office |
| Smoky or very loud vehicles | Section 15 bars vehicles that emit pollutants or noise above the standards | SEPA, with the vehicle number and time |
| Hospital waste or industrial waste dumped in the open | Section 14 bars dumping waste at unauthorised places and mishandling hospital waste | SEPA portal |
| Non-degradable plastic products on sale | Section 14(3) bars sale of scheduled non-degradable plastic products | SEPA portal |
| Household garbage not collected | A local service issue, not usually an SEPA case | Your district's waste board |
Uncollected rubbish in your street is a different job. In Karachi that goes to the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, and SEPA is the step after that only if burning or dumping turns into a pollution source.
How to file a pollution complaint on the SEPA portal
The SEPA portal works in two stages. First you create an account with your personal details, then you log in and lodge the complaint from a dashboard. The page says the system is the Chief Minister of Sindh's automated system for quick resolution of public complaints.
- Open epa.sindh.gov.pk/complains and click "Register".
- Enter your name, gender, 13-digit CNIC (digits only) and 11-digit mobile number.
- Add an email address, then pick your division and district from the lists.
- Set a password of at least 8 characters and tick the reCAPTCHA box.
- Log in at the "Login" link and file the complaint from your dashboard.
The division list covers all six Sindh divisions: Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpur Khas and Shaheed Benazirabad. The district list loads once you pick a division. Address is the only optional field.
We could not see the complaint form itself, because it sits behind the login and we did not register a real CNIC for a test. So we cannot tell you which categories it lists or whether it takes photos. Prepare for both.
What to put in the complaint so SEPA can act
A complaint that names the source, the exact place and the time gives an inspector something to check. Vague complaints such as "the air is bad in Korangi" are hard to act on. Evidence with dates turns a grievance into a case file.
- The source: the factory, workshop, kiln or vehicle, with its name or number plate if you know it.
- The location: street, sector or plot number, plus a nearby landmark. A map pin helps.
- The pattern: what happens and when. "Black smoke from the chimney every night after 11 pm" beats "smoke".
- Evidence: dated photos and short videos, taken from a public place. Keep the originals.
- Effect: what it does to you, such as coughing children, a dirty water supply or lost sleep.
Keep a copy of everything you send and note any complaint number you are given. You will need it if you escalate.
Call or visit a SEPA regional office if the portal fails
SEPA lists its head office in Karachi and regional offices in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas on its contact page. A written complaint delivered by hand, with a receipt stamp on your copy, is still a valid way to complain under the Act.
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Head Office and Karachi Region | Plot ST-2/1, Sector 23, Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi | 021-35065950 |
| Hyderabad Region | Behind Board of Revenue, Shahbaz Building, Hyderabad | 022-9200996 |
| Sukkur Region | Opposite Government College of Physical Education, near New Bus Terminal, Shikarpur Road, Sukkur | 071-5806173 |
| Mirpurkhas Region | 1st Floor, Civil Defence Building, Ring Road, Mirpurkhas | Not listed |
Address the letter to the Director General, or to the Regional Director for your area. Two copies, one stamped and returned to you, is the old habit that still works.
What SEPA can order against a polluter
Once SEPA finds a breach, section 21 lets it issue an Environmental Protection Order after hearing the polluter. The order can stop the discharge, force new equipment, require clean-up and impose a penalty. In an emergency it can pass an interim order first.
The penalties in section 22 are not small. Breaching sections 11, 17, 18 or 21, or an order under them, carries a fine of up to Rs 5 million, plus up to Rs 100,000 for every day the breach continues. Vehicle offences under section 15 carry a fine and up to Rs 10,000 a day while they continue.
Repeat offenders face more. The Environmental Protection Tribunal can add up to three years in prison, close the factory, confiscate machinery, order the site restored and order compensation to people harmed.
Take the case to the Environmental Protection Tribunal if SEPA does nothing
If SEPA does not act, you can complain to the Environmental Protection Tribunal yourself. Section 26(3)(b) lets any aggrieved person file a written complaint after giving SEPA at least 30 days' notice of the breach and of your plan to go to the Tribunal.
Send the notice in writing and keep proof of delivery. Count 30 full days. This route is slower and more formal, and a lawyer helps. If your complaint is about SEPA's own delay or poor handling, the Sindh Ombudsman deals with maladministration by provincial bodies, and the Pakistan Citizen Portal can route a complaint to the Sindh government too.
Common questions
What is the Sindh EPA complaint number?
SEPA's Karachi head office lists 021-35065950. Hyderabad lists 022-9200996 and Sukkur lists 071-5806173. We found no separate toll-free pollution helpline on SEPA's site.
Can I complain to SEPA without giving my CNIC?
Not on the portal. The registration form makes the 13-digit CNIC a required field. A letter to a regional office still needs your name and address so SEPA can reply.
Can I report noise pollution to Sindh EPA?
Yes. The Act counts noise and vibration as pollution, and section 15 covers noisy vehicles.
Does SEPA handle uncollected garbage?
Usually no. Collection is a local service run by waste boards and councils. SEPA comes in when waste is burned or dumped in a way that pollutes.
How long do I wait before going to the Environmental Protection Tribunal?
At least 30 days after you give SEPA written notice of the breach and of your intention to complain to the Tribunal, under section 26(3)(b).
What fine can a polluting factory in Sindh face?
Up to Rs 5 million, plus up to Rs 100,000 a day while the breach continues, under section 22(1). Repeat offenders can face prison and closure.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 3 October 2026. The portal address, the Chief Minister's automated complaint system wording, the registration fields, the CNIC, mobile and password rules and the six divisions are read on epa.sindh.gov.pk/complains and its registration page. The login page returned an HTTP 500 server error in our checks at 14:10 and 14:11 PKT on 3 October 2026; we did not register or file a test complaint. Office addresses and phone numbers are read on SEPA's contact page. Sections 6(2)(a), 11, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 26(3) are read in the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, as published in the Sindh Government Gazette Extraordinary of 20 March 2014, from SEPA's rules page. The definitions of pollution, noise and waste are read in SEPA's FAQ page.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
