Environmental harm: Civic authorities choose to ignore subject
CDA, ICT allow housing societies, businesses to operate without permission
CDA has failed to establish a designated landfill side for sustainable management of solid waste and has been dumping tons of solid waste at undesignated landfills. STOCKIMAGE
ISLAMABAD:
The growing population, commercial and industrial activities coupled with mushrooming growth of housing societies and colonies in the capital have immensely increased pressure on the natural resources and environment, which is badly deteriorating due to the increase in air, water and land pollution.
“The civic bodies, including Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), instead of taking remedial measures have closed their eyes from these issues despite them being highlighted by media, parliamentary standing committees and the Supreme Court at different occasions,” said a former Environment Protection Agency (EPA) head. He termed it criminal negligence on part of CDA, ICT and environment regulators which issue no-objection certificates (NOC) to new housing societies without undertaking the initial environmental examination (IEE) and environmental impact assessments (EIA).
Being the country’s only planned city, environmental and other measures need to be taken by CDA and ICT in light of the growing urbanisation but these bodies not only fail to do so but also disregard their duties to protect the environment by allowing encroachments on greenbelts such as parking areas and businesses, among others.
“Civic bodies did not even spare the only green sector of the capital, F-9 Park, where different attempts are being made to use park land for other purposes despite the Supreme Court’s verdict barring civic authorities from converting park land to commercial land,” said rights activist Tahira Abdullah.
Moreover, CDA has failed to establish a designated landfill side for sustainable management of solid waste and has been dumping tons of solid waste at undesignated landfills. Leakage of sewage lines and dumping of untreated sewage in the water drainage system of the capital is also a major cause of pollution and water-borne diseases.
The CDA had planned to build four sewage treatment plants and sewerage lines in the catchment area as well as surrounding of Rawal Lake to control the flow of polluted water into Rawal Dam. However, despite spending Rs60 million for a study by an outside consultant, the CDA and ICT could not finalise the project concept-I.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2015.
The growing population, commercial and industrial activities coupled with mushrooming growth of housing societies and colonies in the capital have immensely increased pressure on the natural resources and environment, which is badly deteriorating due to the increase in air, water and land pollution.
“The civic bodies, including Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), instead of taking remedial measures have closed their eyes from these issues despite them being highlighted by media, parliamentary standing committees and the Supreme Court at different occasions,” said a former Environment Protection Agency (EPA) head. He termed it criminal negligence on part of CDA, ICT and environment regulators which issue no-objection certificates (NOC) to new housing societies without undertaking the initial environmental examination (IEE) and environmental impact assessments (EIA).
Being the country’s only planned city, environmental and other measures need to be taken by CDA and ICT in light of the growing urbanisation but these bodies not only fail to do so but also disregard their duties to protect the environment by allowing encroachments on greenbelts such as parking areas and businesses, among others.
“Civic bodies did not even spare the only green sector of the capital, F-9 Park, where different attempts are being made to use park land for other purposes despite the Supreme Court’s verdict barring civic authorities from converting park land to commercial land,” said rights activist Tahira Abdullah.
Moreover, CDA has failed to establish a designated landfill side for sustainable management of solid waste and has been dumping tons of solid waste at undesignated landfills. Leakage of sewage lines and dumping of untreated sewage in the water drainage system of the capital is also a major cause of pollution and water-borne diseases.
The CDA had planned to build four sewage treatment plants and sewerage lines in the catchment area as well as surrounding of Rawal Lake to control the flow of polluted water into Rawal Dam. However, despite spending Rs60 million for a study by an outside consultant, the CDA and ICT could not finalise the project concept-I.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2015.