The Sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee for Climate Change, convened by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, took up various issues posing a threat to Islamabad’s environment. The meeting was attended by Senator Samina Saeed, Green Peace activists and senior officers from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ministry of Climate Change and all departments concerned. Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul was also present in the meeting. Issues taken up in the meeting were billboards that have turned into an eyesore for Islamabad’s residents, sewerage near F9 Park for which a compliance report will be submitted to the committee within 15 days and finalisation of a landfill site for solid waste management. While discussing the landfill site, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed asserted that the site must not be just a garbage dumping ground but must follow international standards and give priority to recycling waste, which was a modern industry. Raising the issue of billboards, Senator Samina Saeed was of the view that these must be minimised since, in addition to lack of aesthetics, these were life threatening as well. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) informed the committee that as per the direction of the Supreme Court, 80 percent of billboards in Islamabad had already been removed. It was recommended that the ratio of billboards’ size be taken into consideration as well. While taking up the issue of nullah management in Islamabad, Dr Dushka Sayed was of the opinion that to deal with this issue it was imperative that the issue of slums be separated from that of high rises. As per the recommendation in the previous meeting to link corporate social responsibilities (CSR) with the responsibility for environment degradation and pollution caused by high rise construction, marquee operation and other corporate activity, the committee recommended that legislation must be passed to make CSR contribution mandatory. Meanwhile, in a bid to make the federal capital plastic-free, Zartaj Gul said a fine of Rs 500,000 would be imposed on those violating the ban after August 14. Zartaj Gul informed the sub-committee that anyone who was seen using plastic bags in the capital after August 14 would be fined and also urged for the use of cloth bags instead. Pakistan is ranked 7th in the list of countries affected due to natural disasters. The state minister had already announced a blanket ban on use of plastic bags in Islamabad from August 14. The sub-committee was mainly focusing on the report on environmental issues pertaining to the federal capital. CDA officials informed the sub-committee that the nullah at the F-9 Park would be cleared in 15 days. Metropolitan Cooperation Islamabad (MCI) officials also informed the committee that the managements of the private housing societies of E-11 were directed to establish sewerage treatment plants of appropriate technology to give a sigh of relief to the residents and improve environment. In the meeting, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Farzana Altaf informed the committee that there was no air pollution in I-19 and I-10 industrial area, as it was being monitored round the clock.