The first meeting of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Council Tuesday decided to conduct fresh environmental profiling of the province and to introduce Zig Zag technology in the brick kilns industry in order to control environmental pollution.
Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting also approved the Rules of Procedure of the Council with necessary changes and formation of different committees under the council.
Provincial cabinet members Ishtiaq Urmar, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, administrative secretaries, non-official members of the council and relevant officials attended the meeting.
The forum was briefed in detail about the constitution of the council, its powers, responsibilities and other related matters.
The forum unanimously agreed to the proposal regarding use of latest equipment for the monitoring of water and air pollution as well as to install automatic censors to monitor pollution from industrial units or activities.
It was also agreed in the meeting to install water recycling plants in the industrial zones and the chief minister directed the quarters concerned to complete homework to this end.
Briefing about the actions so far taken by the department, the forum was informed that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2022 have been prepared and would soon be presented before the provincial cabinet for approval.
Similarly, necessary amendments have also been proposed in the Environmental Protection Act 2014 aimed at effectively controlling the environmental pollution whereas an additional clause has been included in the act to impose ban on the use of plastic bags.
The chief minister has directed all relevant departments and institutions to have an effective coordination mechanism to eliminate environmental pollution. He said that all the departments would have to fulfill their responsibilities well in time for the purpose.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2022.
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