Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Environmental Tribunal (ET) has issued arrest warrants for the Park Enclave project and the Sanitation directors of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

In the past, two separate cases of the violations of environmental laws had been forwarded to the tribunal by the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). The first case related to the adverse environmental effects and lack of an approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the ‘Park Enclave’ housing project. The second case pertains to non-availability of a proper land fill site to dump solid waste in the city.

The arrest warrants were issued because the officers did not appear before the tribunal despite several notices. The tribunal ordered to arrest the officers and bring them at the next hearing scheduled for July 17, 2017.

When contacted, CDA Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zimiri said: “I had not received the notice to appear before the tribunal. I attended all previous proceedings. We respect the courts and I will personally appear before the tribunal at the next hearing.”

Since its establishment in 1960, the civic body has failed to find a location for a permanent garbage dumping site.

In 2014, the CDA had shifted the dumping site from Sector D-12 to Sector I-12 along IJP Road on Supreme Court of Pakistan’s directions.

In January 2015, the CDA had announced it will relocate the city’s temporary garbage dump site from Sector I-12 to an unspecified location.

The CDA had informed the court in writing that it was in consultation with Pak-EPA to select a suitable permanent landfill site. However, it has so far failed to allot a specific location.

From the late 1980s till 2006, the CDA dumped its municipal waste in Sector H-12, before shifting to Sector H-11. After the Islamabad High Court (IHC) took notice of the new site in 2010, it was shifted to Sector I-14.

Later, the site was shifted to Sector I-12, and then to Sector D-12 in 2013. After the apex court’s intervention, it was again shifted back to Sector I-12.

Talking to Daily Times, CDA Legal Adviser Muhammad Kashif Malik said: “The warrants are bailable. These have been issued just to ensure the presence of the officials before the tribunal on next date of hearing.”

“The concerned officers will appear before the tribunal at the next date of hearing. Our legal counsel in this case will request for withdrawal of the arrest warrants,” he added.

Plastic bags: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has initiated action in commercial markets of Islamabad to ensure the compliance of Prohibition of Non-biodegradable Plastic Bags (Manufacturing, Sale, Usage and Disposal) 2013.

The Environmental Monitoring Team (EMT), comprising Deputy Director Khalid Mehmood Chadhar, Deputy Director
Saima Nazir and Assistant Director Madiha Naz, visited Super-Market, F-6, Islamabad on Friday.

The team was also accompanied by a police escort.

“During the visit, all shops and stores in the market were visited. Only 19 stores/shops were found non-compliant. Therefore, legal notices were served on the spot to the owners/managers of said stores. They were called to appear on July 17, 2017 in the office of Pak-EPA DG for personal hearing under the law,” stated a press release issued on Friday.

“Pak-EPA is committed to making Islamabad free of plastic bags. All citizens of Islamabad are requested to report any non-compliance and stop using plastic bags,” the statement said.

Published in Daily Times, July 15^th , 2017.