Expressway expansion: CDA says it obtained EIA

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to submit written replies in a week in respect of launching work on the ‘signal-free Islamabad Expressway project’ without conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study.

A single IHC bench comprising Justice Amir Farooq conducted the hearing of a petition filed by Green Islamabad, a local NGO, on Wednesday and ordered CDA and Pak- EPA to submit their written reply within one week.

CDA Member Environment Mustafain Kazmi and member engineering Shahid Sohail appeared before the court. Kazmi told the court that CDA has submitted EIA study conducted by National Engineering Service of Pakistan (Nespak) two days ago and presented a copy of the EIA before the court as well.

A representative of Pak-EPA told the court that only the Environmental Tribunal has powers to hear this case and the petition does come under the jurisdiction of the high court.

The representative of Green Islamabad, Bilale Haq said that CDA misguided the court by presenting an EIA report which has been submitted to Pak-EPA only two days before hearing of the case while expansion work on Islamabad Expressway started in the beginning of July. The next date of hearing will be fixed after August 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2015.