SC rescues our natural gift

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court scrapped a project to build a cricket stadium in Shakarparian which falls within the Margalla Hills National Park, handing over control of the site of the under-construction stadium to the Capital Development Authority.

Since its illegitimate conception, the project was violative of all the park laws and the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979. Shakarparian, Banigala and Margalla Hills are the greenest part of the capital — a natural gift that unfortunately has been subjected to deliberate degradation and decimation due to the short-sighted policies or the inaction on the part of the authorities. The National Park area has been a constant victim of activities which are detrimental to its existence, environmentally hazardous and incompatible with the objectives of preserving this natural blessing. Back in the 1980s, a cement factory was established in the green area. Soon after that a number of stone-crushing units emerged. Illegal urban encroachments, poaching, and tree chopping have emerged as major threats to the delicate ecosystem of the park. Such activities have destroyed the landscape, the natural geographical formations, archaeological features and native plant communities in the area.

This unchecked destruction of our environment has long- and short-term consequences. In the short term Pakistan is losing the pristine environment of the park area. In the long run, our collective actions or inaction in this case, trigger deepening vulnerabilities at various scales. We are becoming more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and temperatures are expected to exceed habitable levels. Therefore, the question today is: can we afford to continue violating our environment and natural resources in the name of such unplanned development? Transforming Pakistan into a developed country is an enormous challenge that requires detailed planning. It is a challenge that our government and policymakers face today because no plantation drive can reverse the man-made damage to the natural habitat.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2018.

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