Islamabad-Muzaffarabad Carriageway Project: No environment damage control strategy
Islamabad-Muzaffarabad Carriageway Project: No environment damage control strategy
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: The government has not devised any environment rehabilitation plans yet despite experts’ reports that construction of Islamabad-Muzaffarabad dual carriageway would not only reduce already diminishing forest cover but also shrink water reservoirs of the capital.The Islamabad-Muzaffarabad Carriageway Project started in 1999. Under the project, 65 kilometers long highway (N-75) had to be constructed from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad in three years. The phase-I of the project comprising 43 kilometers carriageway from Satra Meel, Islamabad, to Lower Topa, Murree, is near completion. Work on phase-II, in which road from Lower Topa to Muzaffarabad had to be constructed, is pending. Thousands of trees have been cut to construct four-lane carriageway to link Islamabad with Lower Topa. The carriageway work includes construction of five bridges and 200 cross-drainage structures.Inspector General (IG) Forests Bashir Ahmed Wani, who retired recently, told Daily Times that the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had asked Ministry of Environment to submit the feasibility report of the road project.Wani said he in his report had stated that the construction of road would play havoc with the environment.Water reservoirs: Wani said the cutting of trees to construct 60-feet-wide road would badly affect Rawal Dam and Simly Dam water reservoirs, as the carriageway was being constructed in their catchment areas. Wani said construction of carriageway would thus decrease the level of twin cities’ water reservoirs.Flora and fauna: Wani said he in his report also mentioned that the project would destroy flora and fauna and destruction of natural habitat would force many animal species to migrate from the area.Housing societies: He said the carriageway passed from private lands and government forests. After start of work on the project many people converted their lands along the carriageway into housing societies and hence more trees were cut. He said cutting of trees and bushes increased chances of land-sliding manifold.Wani admitted that no Environment Impact assessment (EIA) report was ever prepared to carry out the carriageway project.He said before taking decision to start any project in Murree area the government must take proper measures to protect the water reservoirs of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Immediate tree plantation could mitigate the environmental degradation to some extent, he added.Another forest officer said the land mafia was very active in the area. He feared that more conversion of forests into housing societies would be hazardous for the environment.Doctor Zahid, the Punjab Forest Department, admitted that no EIA report of the carriageway project was prepared. He said forest department’s efforts to implement its laws and save forests were being considered as obstacles in the development work. He was of the view that government should not approve any project without EIA report.Javed Gill, forest officer, Murree, said his department would plant one million trees during next fiscal year. He said National Highway Authority (NHA) and Ministry of Environment would provide budget for the purpose. He said though it was responsibility of the NHA to plant trees, but so far their contribution was very nominal.He said the carriage feasibility report was prepared in 98-99 but no EIA was carried out.Ghulam Akbar, a resident of new Murree Morr on the carriageway, oblivious of the environmental degradation, was happy at the construction of road. He said this road would provide them better economic opportunities.Hotels and cafes have been already constructed on both sides of the road, which would not only provide job opportunities to the locals.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\22\story_22-6-2008_pg11_5
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: The government has not devised any environment rehabilitation plans yet despite experts’ reports that construction of Islamabad-Muzaffarabad dual carriageway would not only reduce already diminishing forest cover but also shrink water reservoirs of the capital.The Islamabad-Muzaffarabad Carriageway Project started in 1999. Under the project, 65 kilometers long highway (N-75) had to be constructed from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad in three years. The phase-I of the project comprising 43 kilometers carriageway from Satra Meel, Islamabad, to Lower Topa, Murree, is near completion. Work on phase-II, in which road from Lower Topa to Muzaffarabad had to be constructed, is pending. Thousands of trees have been cut to construct four-lane carriageway to link Islamabad with Lower Topa. The carriageway work includes construction of five bridges and 200 cross-drainage structures.Inspector General (IG) Forests Bashir Ahmed Wani, who retired recently, told Daily Times that the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had asked Ministry of Environment to submit the feasibility report of the road project.Wani said he in his report had stated that the construction of road would play havoc with the environment.Water reservoirs: Wani said the cutting of trees to construct 60-feet-wide road would badly affect Rawal Dam and Simly Dam water reservoirs, as the carriageway was being constructed in their catchment areas. Wani said construction of carriageway would thus decrease the level of twin cities’ water reservoirs.Flora and fauna: Wani said he in his report also mentioned that the project would destroy flora and fauna and destruction of natural habitat would force many animal species to migrate from the area.Housing societies: He said the carriageway passed from private lands and government forests. After start of work on the project many people converted their lands along the carriageway into housing societies and hence more trees were cut. He said cutting of trees and bushes increased chances of land-sliding manifold.Wani admitted that no Environment Impact assessment (EIA) report was ever prepared to carry out the carriageway project.He said before taking decision to start any project in Murree area the government must take proper measures to protect the water reservoirs of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Immediate tree plantation could mitigate the environmental degradation to some extent, he added.Another forest officer said the land mafia was very active in the area. He feared that more conversion of forests into housing societies would be hazardous for the environment.Doctor Zahid, the Punjab Forest Department, admitted that no EIA report of the carriageway project was prepared. He said forest department’s efforts to implement its laws and save forests were being considered as obstacles in the development work. He was of the view that government should not approve any project without EIA report.Javed Gill, forest officer, Murree, said his department would plant one million trees during next fiscal year. He said National Highway Authority (NHA) and Ministry of Environment would provide budget for the purpose. He said though it was responsibility of the NHA to plant trees, but so far their contribution was very nominal.He said the carriage feasibility report was prepared in 98-99 but no EIA was carried out.Ghulam Akbar, a resident of new Murree Morr on the carriageway, oblivious of the environmental degradation, was happy at the construction of road. He said this road would provide them better economic opportunities.Hotels and cafes have been already constructed on both sides of the road, which would not only provide job opportunities to the locals.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\22\story_22-6-2008_pg11_5
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