Bioremediation on the cards for River Ravi

Commission to protect river ecosystem and to reduce its level of pollution

LAHORE: A bioremediation project on the River Ravi to bring down hazardous pollution levels seems to be in the offing. Lahore High Court last week directed the chief secretary to proceed with measures recommended by a court-appointed River Ravi Commission to protect the river ecosystem and to reduce its level of pollution.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah gave the chief secretary a month to submit an interim report on progress in the matter.

In its report submitted to the LHC, the commission raised no objection to the River Ravi Front Development Project (proposed by the Lahore Development Authority). However, it said that meanwhile a bioremediation project could be considered as a quick-fix to the high level of pollution in the river’s waters. It said bioremediation did not require any major infrastructure development. It would feature water ponds spread over an area of 50 acres, it added. The cost of the project has been estimated at Rs50 million.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) had already acquired the land required for a waste water treatment plant, a WASA representative told the court. He said work could be started on the bioremediation project while planning for the River Ravi Front Development Project went on.

At the hearing, the LDA counsel submitted that the River Ravi Project would be completed at a cost of Rs318 billion. He said the LDA had yet to acquire 300 acres of land needed for the project.

River Ravi Commission Secretary Ahmad Rafay Alam, who was also the counsel for petitioners, said that at the last meeting the commission was informed that the authority concerned had neither finalised a project design (PC-1) document for the project nor prepared its environment impact assessment (EIA) report. He said there had been no progress on any of the seven project components that dealt with waste management.

The hearing was adjourned till Jan 13, 2016.

‘Arrest warrants for Kanju’

Last week, a judicial magistrate issued arrest warrants for former state minister Siddique Kanju’s son Mustafa Kanju, who is under trial for killing a passer-by and injuring another following a road accident, for possession of an unlicensed Kalashnikov rifle.

Judicial Magistrate Akram Azad also directed the police to present Kanju before the court.

Earlier, an investigation officer said that an FIR had been registered with the North Cantonment police station against Kanju for possession of an unlicensed Kalashnikov. He said the weapon had been used in the shooting that killed the passer-by, Zain, and injured another.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2016.