60 booked over illegal constructions

Punjab environmental tribunal issues notices to violators

RAWALPINDI:

Petitions have been filed against 60 influential people including politicians and groups for illegally constructing multi-storied buildings, plazas and miscellaneous constructions in all four hilly tehsils of Rawalpindi district.

Cases have been filed against these people in the Punjab environmental tribunal.

The cases have been filed against politicians of mainstream political parties including the PTI, the PML-N, the PPP, the PML-Q and other influential groups and owners of various housing societies.

These cases have been filed under Section 12 of the Punjab Environment Act. Under this section, any construction that causes damage to the environment is not permitted. If such illegal constructions are proved, heavy fines and confiscation of building materials can be imposed against the perpetrators.

The Punjab Environmental Tribunal has approved all these cases for hearing and issued notices to all the building owners and officers of the departments concerned.

Committee formed to protect forests

Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Noorul Amin Mengal has set up a high-powered committee to ensure the protection of public and private forests and mountains in Murree, Kotli Satiyan, Klar Syedan and Kahuta.

The committee will ensure that deforestation and timber theft were stopped and also prepare a formal code of conduct.

The committee also includes district administration, assistant commissioners, officials of the forest and wildlife department, local government and members of the assembly.

Earlier, Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench Judge Chaudhry Abdul Aziz while hearing petitions against the Murree tragedy had directed to form a committee for the protection of forests and mountains.

This "Murree Kohsar rescue committee” will start its work immediately.

The forest department has also been ordered to provide strict security measures to protect government forests and prevent timber theft in all four hilly tehsils.

Rawalpindi Forest Department Senior Conservator Ashfaq Bashir Bhatta said that carrying knives, saws, matchboxes and cigarette flickers had been banned in forests.

He said that close circuit cameras were being installed at all major forest routes, weapons will be provided to forest officers, forest guards, government motorbikes will also be provided for monitoring besides banning sawmills in 10 km areas around government forests and security check posts will also be set up in the forests.

Assistant Director Wildlife Rizwana Aziz said that strict arrangements were being made to stop the hunting of wild birds and animals in the mountain forests.

She added that necessary eco-friendly, bird-friendly measures were also being taken for raising birds in mountain forests. “We want all the roaming birds to return to the mountain forests. We will also plant all the local fruit trees in the Pothohar region and Kohsar region in the mountain forests,” she further added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2022.