The rights activists on Tuesday urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to consult the slum dwellers as stakeholders during development of Sector E-12 project and provide alternate accommodation for them. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) held public hearing of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report of the development of Sector E-12 project which was compulsory for any development project executing body under the Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997 to obtain an environmental approval prior to commence construction work. The project area spreads over 5,967 kanals (745.87 acres) land and is part of Islamabad’s Master Plan of 1960 and aimed to provide residential plots for all-income groups in the metropolis. The EIA Report was prepared by Project Procurement International and the CDA was the project proponent. Environmental Engineer Ali Abdullah from Project Procurement International presented the EIA Report before the participants. Deputy Director EPA Khalid Mehmood and Deputy Director EPA Dr Mohsina Zubair chaired the public hearing on behalf of the Director General EPA. Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Mehmood said the public should be aware that public hearing was a legal formality and not the approval of the Agency for a particular project. The citizens and civil society activists and experts were encouraged to send their queries, concerns and recommendations on the project in writing to Pak-EPA. Engineer Ali Abdullah while briefing on the EIA Report informed that the housing project was designed keeping in view the rising urbanization and population of the federal capital. “The project will directly address the housing problems and its linkage with the construction industry will rotate the national economy.” He informed that Sector E-12 was located in series next to Sector E-11 near Margalla Hills and accessed from Shah Allah Ditta village and Golra. The project size comprised of 4,430 residential plots of various sizes mostly 25’*40’ (819 plots) for low income groups whereas the estimated project cost as per approved PC-I was Rs6.630 billion. Abdullah added that the infrastructure works included establishment of service roads, major roads, storm drainage system, overhead reservoirs, water supply, sewage system, landscaping and street lights. She underlined that the earthquake and seismic threats were also not stated in the EIA Report that should be considered positively. Responding to various participants’ queries, the CDA officials apprised that the project was as per the approved master plan where all allottees of the project land were being compensated. The project, he said would be implemented as per best practices with due focus on environmental conservation and enhancement.