Checking pollution: Environmental watchdog seeks more powers, resources

Pak-EPA Agency says lack of resources, legal backing hindering its efforts .

ISLAMABAD:

The environmental watchdog has sought more powers and resources to check pollution effectively in the federal capital territory, a senior official told The Express Tribune.

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), a toothless agency, has submitted proposals to the government to upgrade its status to a regulatory authority with substantial allocation of funds to implement its regulations.

The proposals were earlier submitted to the law ministry which directed the agency to submit it to the finance division.

The agency informed the Supreme Court a few weeks ago that it lacked financial and human resources as well as legal backing to move against violators of environmental protection laws.

Pak-EPA Director-General Dr Khurshid Khan said the violators do not take the agency seriously because it does not have power and resources to take action against them.

He said the agency did not have enough powers to take action against the polluters, — factories, vehicles and hospitals. The hospitals are disposing of medical waste improperly.

“There is a need to establish a full-fledged authority to enforce environment regulations. The formation of an authority and fresh environmental laws would help preserve the environment,” Khan said.

He said not a single case was registered with the environmental tribunal for eight years between 2005 and 2013 in Islamabad. During this period, he said, only one hospital was issued notice for improperly disposing of its waste. No follow-up action was taken on the notice either.

The official said that a fresh survey has found that most public and private hospitals, clinics and laboratories are throwing their chemicals and wastes into the city drains.

“This is infectious and very dangerous waste, which must be disposed of separately as per the guidelines,” he added.

Khan said the agency had issued notices to 28 hospitals, warning them against the violations over the last six months. The agency would file cases against them in the environment tribunals if the violations continue, he warned.

Pak-EPA will also conduct medical tests of labourers working at plants in I-9 and I-10 industrial areas to gauge pollution effects on their health, he said.

Meanwhile, raw sewage and unplanned disposal of municipal and hospital wastes continue to pollute natural streams in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and other cities due to weak environmental laws and powerless regulators.

The superior judiciary has had to take suo motu notices on a number of environmental issues, questioning negligence by the civic authorities and environmental regulators.

Issues of water, air and land contamination are worsening, mainly due to raw sewage and hazardous industrial and hospital waste.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2015.