Clean and green: Rs190m for environment development

LAHORE: The 2014-15 budget proposed a Rs190 million allocation for development spending in the environment sector. This represented a 14 per cent rise over the Rs164 million allocation in the last fiscal. The stated aims under the policy include the establishment of air quality monitoring system in the Punjab, building capacity of the Environment Protection Agency for effective environmental monitoring and compliance, promoting conservation of biodiversity by establishing a biodiversity park at Murree, creation of a cell for introducing management and legal discipline to improve service delivery and development of the Punjab’s environmental profile. The government also aims to assess the pollution level in Hudiara Drain, find feasible options for waste water treatment, evaluate waste water’s impact on groundwater in main cities, strengthen legal framework, collaborate with NGOs for creating awareness of issues related to climate change and observance of multilateral environmental agreements.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2014.