Looking back: Over 70% of environmental budget remained unused

Region is heavily affected by climate change in recent years

PESHAWAR: Although Peshawar was ranked as the second most polluted city in the world, the Khyber-Pakhtunkwha government failed to utilise its FY 2015-16 budget for the environment. Only 29.6% of the allocated budget was utilised in the outgoing financial year, confirmed the 2016-17 annual budget report.

Last year, the government allocated Rs57 million for environmental protection in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of which only Rs23 million were released. Just 29.6% of the released funds were utilised until June 10, 2016. This year, the government has, once again, allocated the same amount, Rs57 million, for the environment.

K-P is most vulnerable to climate change in the country and many die in floods, windstorms and other natural disasters. The latest windstorm on Wednesday killed at least seven people and left dozens injured. Damage worth millions of rupees was also reported as various properties, crops and lands were adversely affected.

The current budget for the environment will be utilised for seven projects. Out of these, only one is new with an allocation of Rs2 million. The other six projects started last year, but were not completed.

The budget document does not specify amounts for each project. It, however, mentions a target to strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency through a geographic information system.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, EPA K-P Director General Bashir Ahmad said there was a general cut on all sectors’ spending due to reduction in the overall outlay of ADP. “Utilisation of the budget to strengthen the organisational structure of ADP was indispensible. This is why three new director level officers shall be hired in DI Khan, Abbottabad and Mingora.”

He added there will be 56 new positions after new offices were established in Hattar, Gadoon and Peshawar industrial estates.

He also said EPA was a regulatory agency and Rs2 billion should be enough to cope with the effects of climate change.

Meanwhile, environmentalists expressed their concerns over the under-utilisation of funds in such a crucial sector. They said sufficient measures were needed to tackle climate change.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, renowned environmentalist Dr Shafiqur Rehman, who also served as registrar at Peshawar’s Iqra National University, said an amount of Rs57 million was insufficient to address the environment-related challenges of the province. “Peshawar was ranked as the worst city in the world in terms of air pollution, but our government did nothing to improve the situation,” he said. “The government shall come up with a more comprehensive strategic policy to tackle climate change issues. It should also allocate more funds to this crucial sector.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2016.