Tall claim: CDA vows to boot out stone crushers from Margallas
Official commits date by which joint operation will be undertaken.
CDA vows to boot out stone crushers from Margallas. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Eyebrows were raised during a meeting of a parliamentary panel on Tuesday when the capital’s city managers announced they would evict 16 stone crushers quarrying limestone around the city within two weeks.
“It has been decided that stone crushing machines quarrying at the Margalla Hills will be dismantled in the next 15 days,” Capital Development Authority (CDA) Environment Member Sanaullah Aman informed a sub-committee of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday.
The claim was taken seriously; the convener of the subcommittee on environmental degradation in Islamabad, Senator Mushahid Hussain announced that the next meeting would be held on February 25. But the fact of the matter is that CDA officers have a knack for failing to meet deadlines. The CDA environment wing’s officials informed the committee that five stone crushers are quarrying in the CDA-administered Margalla Hills National Park, while nine fall within Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) limits.
“We’re waiting for the minister’s response, following which the ICT administration, CDA and Iesco will carry out a joint operation for closing down crushing units,” the CDA informed the committee. During a meeting at the Rawalpindi commissioner’s office on January 23, it was decided that the Punjab minister for mines would pursue a case to cancel the lease given to stone crushers and obtain permission from the government to close down their operations.
The CDA Environment director had recently said three stone crushers quarrying in the national park had been issued fines while other two obtained stay orders from the Islamabad High Court.
Fecto Cement factory
During the meeting, members asked for a detailed report on the status of the Fecto Cement factory, which falls within Zone-III of the federal capital.
It was informed that Fecto’s management had recently produced a revalidated stay order from the high court to avoid action. However, a senior CDA official said the stay order had no value after the Supreme Court verdict in the Margalla Hills tunnel case. The apex court had ordered an immediate end to activities resulting in damage to the hills. Stretching over 2,522 acres, the factory is a major source of pollution in the Margalla Hills.
The ICT administration had granted an 18-year lease extension to Fecto on December 21, 2011 in violation of laws governing the area, including Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1979, the Islamabad (Preservation of Landscape) Ordinance 1966 and the Forest Act 1927.
Earlier, the CDA had asked the ICT administration to cancel the lease extension, but for reasons best known to him, the Islamabad chief commissioner has yet to act on the request. The factory was established on June 8, 1982 during the regime of military dictator Ziaul Haq.
Solid waste management
The CDA informed the committee that the authority was in the process of selecting a permanent landfill site in Islamabad. “Three sites are under consideration, one of which will be finalised,” Aman said. The authority is currently dumping municipal waste in Sector I-11.
The committee also discussed issues related to biodegradable plastic bags, non-conforming use of residential units and the lack of parking in commercial areas. Members directed the CDA to initiate awareness campaigns on environmental laws.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2014.
Eyebrows were raised during a meeting of a parliamentary panel on Tuesday when the capital’s city managers announced they would evict 16 stone crushers quarrying limestone around the city within two weeks.
“It has been decided that stone crushing machines quarrying at the Margalla Hills will be dismantled in the next 15 days,” Capital Development Authority (CDA) Environment Member Sanaullah Aman informed a sub-committee of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday.
The claim was taken seriously; the convener of the subcommittee on environmental degradation in Islamabad, Senator Mushahid Hussain announced that the next meeting would be held on February 25. But the fact of the matter is that CDA officers have a knack for failing to meet deadlines. The CDA environment wing’s officials informed the committee that five stone crushers are quarrying in the CDA-administered Margalla Hills National Park, while nine fall within Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) limits.
“We’re waiting for the minister’s response, following which the ICT administration, CDA and Iesco will carry out a joint operation for closing down crushing units,” the CDA informed the committee. During a meeting at the Rawalpindi commissioner’s office on January 23, it was decided that the Punjab minister for mines would pursue a case to cancel the lease given to stone crushers and obtain permission from the government to close down their operations.
The CDA Environment director had recently said three stone crushers quarrying in the national park had been issued fines while other two obtained stay orders from the Islamabad High Court.
Fecto Cement factory
During the meeting, members asked for a detailed report on the status of the Fecto Cement factory, which falls within Zone-III of the federal capital.
It was informed that Fecto’s management had recently produced a revalidated stay order from the high court to avoid action. However, a senior CDA official said the stay order had no value after the Supreme Court verdict in the Margalla Hills tunnel case. The apex court had ordered an immediate end to activities resulting in damage to the hills. Stretching over 2,522 acres, the factory is a major source of pollution in the Margalla Hills.
The ICT administration had granted an 18-year lease extension to Fecto on December 21, 2011 in violation of laws governing the area, including Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1979, the Islamabad (Preservation of Landscape) Ordinance 1966 and the Forest Act 1927.
Earlier, the CDA had asked the ICT administration to cancel the lease extension, but for reasons best known to him, the Islamabad chief commissioner has yet to act on the request. The factory was established on June 8, 1982 during the regime of military dictator Ziaul Haq.
Solid waste management
The CDA informed the committee that the authority was in the process of selecting a permanent landfill site in Islamabad. “Three sites are under consideration, one of which will be finalised,” Aman said. The authority is currently dumping municipal waste in Sector I-11.
The committee also discussed issues related to biodegradable plastic bags, non-conforming use of residential units and the lack of parking in commercial areas. Members directed the CDA to initiate awareness campaigns on environmental laws.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2014.