NA panel rejects report on poison in Rawal Lake
Officials of CDA, CADD and other relevant depts summoned in next meeting of committee
Officials of CDA, CADD and other relevant depts summoned in next meeting of committee. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
A parliamentary panel on Friday was less than impressed by a report from the climate change ministry over the death of hundreds of fish in the Rawal Lake a few months ago.
They summoned officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) along with those from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) and the Interior Ministry.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change met at the Parliament House on Friday with Dr Hafeezur Rehman Drishak in the chair to discuss pollution in the Rawal Lake and deforestation in the Punjab.
During the meeting, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General Farzana Shah gave a briefing on the reasons why the fish had died.
She stated that the fish did not die because of poisoning, as feared. Rather, the fish died owing to the fall of oxygen levels in the water owing to the increased dumping of garbage in the lake with rainwater.
“The garbage blocked sunlight from penetrating the surface of the water which prevented the process of photosynthesis and led to the fall in dissolved oxygen levels of the lake,” she said.
The Pak-EPA director general also told the committee that 37 per cent of the garbage being dumped into the Rawal Dam comes from Murree, while 63 per cent came from ICT.
Reviewing a report presented by the Ministry of Climate Change, the committee expressed its serious displeasure and summoned officials from the city administration. The committee subsequently deferred its agenda regarding the report.
Deforestation in Punjab
The parliamentary panel also expressed its dissatisfaction over a briefing by the Punjab Forest Department over deforestation in the province and measures the provincial government had taken to address vulnerabilities to climate change.
The Punjab Forest Secretary told the committee that the province was facing seven major climate change issues including loss of indigenous flora, a decrease in fodder production for livestock, and low productivity of riverine forests.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahiduallah Khan said that forests could delay floods by 72 hours, adding that international law stipulates that states should not settle population close to wetlands.
The committee members, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the briefing and suggested that a detailed briefing along with facts and figures on “Green Pakistan Programme” must be given to the committee at its next meeting.
Condemnation resolution
The committee strongly condemned the killings, rape and massacre of Rohingya Muslims at the hands of the Myanmar government and urged the United Nations and the international community to condemn the massacre and play their role in preventing the atrocities.
The committee also recommended that the Nobel Prize committee withdraw the peace prize of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been quiet on the violence.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2017.
A parliamentary panel on Friday was less than impressed by a report from the climate change ministry over the death of hundreds of fish in the Rawal Lake a few months ago.
They summoned officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) along with those from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) and the Interior Ministry.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change met at the Parliament House on Friday with Dr Hafeezur Rehman Drishak in the chair to discuss pollution in the Rawal Lake and deforestation in the Punjab.
During the meeting, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General Farzana Shah gave a briefing on the reasons why the fish had died.
She stated that the fish did not die because of poisoning, as feared. Rather, the fish died owing to the fall of oxygen levels in the water owing to the increased dumping of garbage in the lake with rainwater.
“The garbage blocked sunlight from penetrating the surface of the water which prevented the process of photosynthesis and led to the fall in dissolved oxygen levels of the lake,” she said.
The Pak-EPA director general also told the committee that 37 per cent of the garbage being dumped into the Rawal Dam comes from Murree, while 63 per cent came from ICT.
Reviewing a report presented by the Ministry of Climate Change, the committee expressed its serious displeasure and summoned officials from the city administration. The committee subsequently deferred its agenda regarding the report.
Deforestation in Punjab
The parliamentary panel also expressed its dissatisfaction over a briefing by the Punjab Forest Department over deforestation in the province and measures the provincial government had taken to address vulnerabilities to climate change.
The Punjab Forest Secretary told the committee that the province was facing seven major climate change issues including loss of indigenous flora, a decrease in fodder production for livestock, and low productivity of riverine forests.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahiduallah Khan said that forests could delay floods by 72 hours, adding that international law stipulates that states should not settle population close to wetlands.
The committee members, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the briefing and suggested that a detailed briefing along with facts and figures on “Green Pakistan Programme” must be given to the committee at its next meeting.
Condemnation resolution
The committee strongly condemned the killings, rape and massacre of Rohingya Muslims at the hands of the Myanmar government and urged the United Nations and the international community to condemn the massacre and play their role in preventing the atrocities.
The committee also recommended that the Nobel Prize committee withdraw the peace prize of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been quiet on the violence.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2017.