Bulldozers take over: Zero care for capital’s environment

Pak-EPA serving ‘pointless’ notices to CDA, RDA due to lack of environmental tribunal members.

ISLAMABAD:

Political pressure has allegedly forced the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to limit its responsibility to merely issuing notices rather than taking lawful action against an ongoing project which poses serious environmental hazards.

Although the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is the executing agency for the twin cities’ Rs43 billion metro bus project, the Pak-EPA acted cleverly by serving a notice to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) which asked why construction started without environmental clearance.

Officials at the CDA, however, told them to pursue the matter with the RDA as it is in charge of the project. Pak-EPA had already served a similar notice to the RDA, but in vain, as project director Zahid Saeed said they had to follow the already-worked out deadlines for the project.

Understanding the cold shoulder response, Pak-EPA officials realised that their hue and cry would be gone unheard. Soon after, a group of activists have decided to move the court of law against the severe violation of environmental laws at the behest of the metro bus project.

Moreover, a public protest demonstration is also planned near Peshawar Mor at 9th Avenue on Friday, May 9, intended to question the environmental degradation caused by the project.

“The decision [to move court of law] is being taken because currently, no appellant forum exists which the aggrieved persons can approach to protest the decision of Pak-EPA,” said a prominent environmentalist Dr Jawad Chishtie.

Chishtie said that an environmental tribunal exists in Islamabad, but currently it is inoperative as the government has yet to appoint its chairperson and two members. He added, “The situation is against the basic principles of justice, and the government should immediately make the forum operational by appointing its members and chairman.”

Former Pak-EPA director general Asif Shuja said the Islamabad environmental tribunal was formed back in 1997, but has not been functional for a long time. Around 125 cases decided earlier by the Pak-EPA are pending due to this appellant forum being dysfunctional, said Shuja.

He informed that the forum has powers under the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 to overrule decisions of environmental bodies in the greater interest of the environment of some area.

Meanwhile, Chishtie said, “Whenever it comes to enforcing environmental laws, we find these governments toothless. The people who are environmentally conscious wish to see an independent environmental watchdog by all means.” He also said that environmental clearances of the manner expected for metro bus project, requested by the Pak-EPA, are no more than eyewash.

A senior Pak-EPA official, asking not to be named, said some Pak-EPA high ups were facing political pressure over the environmental clearance.

“Initially, upon receiving an environmental impact assessment report prepared by the Nespak (the design consultant for the project), Pak-EPA officials had raised more than 10 objections. But later, they were swept under the rug,” the official said.

Chishtie added that a few days ago, some technical members of the agency were also served show cause-notices for one reason or the other. He said, these were actually issued because these members objected to the project’s adverse environmental impacts.

In this void, the Punjab chief minister office has formed an 11-member subcommittee to look into the project. Former MNA Hanif Abbasi has been made chairman of the committee, with Rawalpindi commissioner Zahid Saeed as the committee’s co-chair. Other members include former MNA Shakil Awan, MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the Rawalpindi DCO, the Islamabad IG, the CDA chairman, the Islamabad DC and others. The committee would submit weekly reports about progress on the project, confronting issues with the office of chief minister in the process.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2014.