Not that green: New project may contaminate Rawal Dam

The road will begin near navy camp, end near Lake View Park.

ISLAMABAD:

Even though the adverse effects of Lake View Park on Rawal Dam have yet to be explained by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the civic agency is planning to undertake yet another recreational venture in the water reservoir’s proximity.

The project, currently in the planning stage, involves the construction of a kilometre-and-a-half “Corniche Road” around the bank of the dam which will have a restaurant built at its endpoint, informed an official of the Planning Wing requesting anonymity.

“The project is the brainchild of the CDA chairman, who tasked the Planning Wing with finalising the design,” the official added.

As a significant portion of the proposed road falls within the area administered by the Punjab government’s small dams department, the authority will be need a no objection certificate (NOC) as well as an environment impact assessment report for the project from Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA).



“The 20-foot wide road will commence from the area adjacent to the Navy camp at Rawal Dam facing Murree Road and will culminate near Lake View Park, where a restaurant will most probably be constructed on a build - operate - transfer basis,” the official revealed.

It is noteworthy that during the 2011 Rawal Dam contamination case in the Supreme Court, environmentalists had informed the court how Lake View Park had added to water contamination in the reservoir.

Groups of environmentalists who recently opposed the Margalla Hills Tunnel project at Supreme Court of Pakistan said they would strongly resist this move as well.

“Rawal Dam falls within the protected National Park Area and laws governing the area do not allow initiation of environmental impact assessment reports.

They clearly prohibit such construction activities,” said environmentalist Dr Jawad Chishti.

“How can one ask for an assessment report for constructions in areas already protected by law?”

He also informed that Pakistan was a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on wetlands and initiation of the project would be a grave violation of the agreement.

“Under the garb of recreational facilities, the civic body is serving powerful private commercial interests,” he alleged while criticising the “criminal silence” of the Pak-EPA on issues related to environmental degradation.

For the last decade, Rawal Lake has been subject to pollution from a number of sources including human settlements, poultry waste, recreational and agricultural activities, deforestation, erosion, and sedimentation according to an Environment Ministry report.

Constructed on Korang River, the lake is the main water supply source for Rawalpindi city and its cantonment areas.

Talking to The Express Tribune, DG Pak-EPA Asif Shuja said the agency had not been contacted by the CDA yet and it would be premature to say if the assessment of the project will be approved or not.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2013.