Going up in smoke: Commercial activities spoiling capital’s environment
CDA presents violations before Senate panel; sub-committee tasked to develop action plan to protect environment.
The authority officials informed the meeting that at Golra Forest Range (GFR) there were five stone crushers and four housing societies operating in violation of the CDA by-laws. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A number of industrial and commercial units have been operating in clear violation of environmental laws in the capital and defacing the Margalla Hills National Park for a long time now.
This was highlighted at a public hearing of Senate Subcommittee on Environmental Degradation of Islamabad at the Parliament House on Friday.
The sub-committee was formed to develop an environmental action plan which will then be implemented by government departments.
The meeting was attended by senators, representatives of the government and civic and environmental agencies as well as parliamentarians, media and civil society representatives.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented specific violations by individuals and businesses on the Margalla Hills.
Golra Forest Range
Giving range-wise details, the authority officials informed the meeting that at Golra Forest Range (GFR), the worst affected of the four forest ranges of the national park in Zone-III, there were five stone crushers and four housing societies operating in violation of the CDA by-laws.
The stone crusher companies are named as Fecto Cement, Chaudhry M. Asif, Chaudhry Irfan, Chaudhry Naveed and Akhter Mehmood.
The four housing societies are: Margalla Meadows, North Ridge Society, Al-Reyan Housing Society and Ali Town. Two of the societies have also encroached considerable land in the GFR. Besides, the authority pointed out 46 specific instances of violations such as construction of walls, houses, rooms, fencing, grabbing of acquired land and levelling of the CDA land.
Saidpur Forest Range
At Saidpur Forest Range (SFR) the meeting was informed that 29 individuals have been violating the law. FIA Deputy Director Mir Mazhar Jabbar has reportedly encroached upon some land in that range. At the SFR there were 16 livestock sale points as well.
Nurpur and Bhara Kahu
Forest Ranges Similarly at Nurpur Forest Range (NFR) the authority identified a total of nine violations by individuals while at Bhara Kahu Forest Range (BFR) it reported 15 violations and two cases of encroachment. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Asif Shuja said stone crushers were operating in violation of law at the Margallas but WAPDA was reluctant to cut power supply to them. Shuja said in 2012 the petroleum ministry had granted licence to a private firm to explore oil and gas in the hills which was a grave violation of law.
“You should submit a copy of that licence, so that we could proceed for its cancellation,” convener of the committee Senator Mushahid Hussain said. Sustainable Development Policy Institute Chief Executive Dr Abid Q. Suleri informed the committee that about 360 poultry sheds and 170 poultry farms were also causing water pollution in Islamabad.
Industrial pollution
Representatives of EPA said that there were nine steel furnaces operating in sectors I-9 and I-10 of the industrial area and about 98 brick kilns in the limits of ICT which were causing pollution.
CDA bye-laws do not allow any industrial activity causing pollution but these steel furnaces were allowed to operate in the 1980s. Initially, a buffer zone was created to separate industrial and residential areas, but later the buffer zone was abolished.
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Subhan Khalid informed the committee that in 2005 it volunteered to relocate the industrial units to the outskirts but no one took interest. He said the CDA board lacks public and business community representation in it.
Human rights expert Syeda Viqarun Nisa Hashmi said that approximately 350 million non-degradable plastic bags are used in Islamabad every year.
Senator Hussain said that every citizen has a right to a clean and green Islamabad.
The committee asked for proposals to cope with the menace of plastic bags, disposal of hospital waste, issuance of notices to illegal stone crushers and initiation of a public awareness campaign for implementation of the existing laws.
A number of industrial and commercial units have been operating in clear violation of environmental laws in the capital and defacing the Margalla Hills National Park for a long time now.
This was highlighted at a public hearing of Senate Subcommittee on Environmental Degradation of Islamabad at the Parliament House on Friday.
The sub-committee was formed to develop an environmental action plan which will then be implemented by government departments.
The meeting was attended by senators, representatives of the government and civic and environmental agencies as well as parliamentarians, media and civil society representatives.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented specific violations by individuals and businesses on the Margalla Hills.
Golra Forest Range
Giving range-wise details, the authority officials informed the meeting that at Golra Forest Range (GFR), the worst affected of the four forest ranges of the national park in Zone-III, there were five stone crushers and four housing societies operating in violation of the CDA by-laws.
The stone crusher companies are named as Fecto Cement, Chaudhry M. Asif, Chaudhry Irfan, Chaudhry Naveed and Akhter Mehmood.
The four housing societies are: Margalla Meadows, North Ridge Society, Al-Reyan Housing Society and Ali Town. Two of the societies have also encroached considerable land in the GFR. Besides, the authority pointed out 46 specific instances of violations such as construction of walls, houses, rooms, fencing, grabbing of acquired land and levelling of the CDA land.
Saidpur Forest Range
At Saidpur Forest Range (SFR) the meeting was informed that 29 individuals have been violating the law. FIA Deputy Director Mir Mazhar Jabbar has reportedly encroached upon some land in that range. At the SFR there were 16 livestock sale points as well.
Nurpur and Bhara Kahu
Forest Ranges Similarly at Nurpur Forest Range (NFR) the authority identified a total of nine violations by individuals while at Bhara Kahu Forest Range (BFR) it reported 15 violations and two cases of encroachment. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Asif Shuja said stone crushers were operating in violation of law at the Margallas but WAPDA was reluctant to cut power supply to them. Shuja said in 2012 the petroleum ministry had granted licence to a private firm to explore oil and gas in the hills which was a grave violation of law.
“You should submit a copy of that licence, so that we could proceed for its cancellation,” convener of the committee Senator Mushahid Hussain said. Sustainable Development Policy Institute Chief Executive Dr Abid Q. Suleri informed the committee that about 360 poultry sheds and 170 poultry farms were also causing water pollution in Islamabad.
Industrial pollution
Representatives of EPA said that there were nine steel furnaces operating in sectors I-9 and I-10 of the industrial area and about 98 brick kilns in the limits of ICT which were causing pollution.
CDA bye-laws do not allow any industrial activity causing pollution but these steel furnaces were allowed to operate in the 1980s. Initially, a buffer zone was created to separate industrial and residential areas, but later the buffer zone was abolished.
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Subhan Khalid informed the committee that in 2005 it volunteered to relocate the industrial units to the outskirts but no one took interest. He said the CDA board lacks public and business community representation in it.
Human rights expert Syeda Viqarun Nisa Hashmi said that approximately 350 million non-degradable plastic bags are used in Islamabad every year.
Senator Hussain said that every citizen has a right to a clean and green Islamabad.
The committee asked for proposals to cope with the menace of plastic bags, disposal of hospital waste, issuance of notices to illegal stone crushers and initiation of a public awareness campaign for implementation of the existing laws.