Kuri landfill issue: Minister’s decision disappoints many
Kuri landfill issue: Minister’s decision disappoints many
* Locals say project will affect 20 villages, pollute tube-wells
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Stakeholders are dissatisfied with Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi’s decision to refer the Kuri landfill matter to the Planning Commission for re-evaluation. The decision has disappointed local people, who wanted a clear line on the project by the minister. They now think that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) would decide the matter in the next hearing into the case on June 30.A writ petition was filed with Lahore High Court (LHR), Rawalpindi Bench, and then shifted to the IHC after its formation, where its hearing has been fixed for June 30.Minister’s decision: Afridi called a meeting of all stakeholders on Tuesday. Having heard their points of view, he referred the matter to the Planning Commission, which had been directed to give a final decision within three weeks.Shabbir Abbasi, a local who took part in the meeting, told Daily Times on Wednesday that residents of the area and environments had expressed reservations on the project to the minister.He said the CDA and Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) had no answer to objections to construction of the landfill. Abbasi said the minister referred the matter to the Planning Commission instead of forming a committee of technical experts to look over the project or suspending it altogether. Dr Amir Haider, an environmentalist, said the CDA had no logic to build the landfill other than that relocation of the site would delay the project that could lead to outbreak of diseases in the city. He said delay of two or three years in the project was worth having a proper landfill since the CDA had been dumping garbage in the open for years with no regard to environmental protection. 20 villages to be affected: Raja Farooq, a resident of village Maloot, said the landfill would directly or indirectly affect over 20 villages.Shahzad Town and Bhara Khu were among the villages feared to be affected by the landfill and their population was 40,000 and 60,000 strong respectively, he said. Raja Azhar Mehmood of village Chatran said the CDA had admitted during the meeting that 100 tube-wells had been installed in and around Kuri.He said there were around 150 tube-wells actually installed in the area, which would be polluted with the construction of landfill there. In minister’s defence: Environment Ministry officials defended Afridi’s decision, saying the Planning Commission was the body to decide the matter.They said the minister was not authorised to dictate the CDA and people could have a decision against the project from court under National Environment Policy.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\26\story_26-6-2008_pg11_6
* Locals say project will affect 20 villages, pollute tube-wells
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Stakeholders are dissatisfied with Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi’s decision to refer the Kuri landfill matter to the Planning Commission for re-evaluation. The decision has disappointed local people, who wanted a clear line on the project by the minister. They now think that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) would decide the matter in the next hearing into the case on June 30.A writ petition was filed with Lahore High Court (LHR), Rawalpindi Bench, and then shifted to the IHC after its formation, where its hearing has been fixed for June 30.Minister’s decision: Afridi called a meeting of all stakeholders on Tuesday. Having heard their points of view, he referred the matter to the Planning Commission, which had been directed to give a final decision within three weeks.Shabbir Abbasi, a local who took part in the meeting, told Daily Times on Wednesday that residents of the area and environments had expressed reservations on the project to the minister.He said the CDA and Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) had no answer to objections to construction of the landfill. Abbasi said the minister referred the matter to the Planning Commission instead of forming a committee of technical experts to look over the project or suspending it altogether. Dr Amir Haider, an environmentalist, said the CDA had no logic to build the landfill other than that relocation of the site would delay the project that could lead to outbreak of diseases in the city. He said delay of two or three years in the project was worth having a proper landfill since the CDA had been dumping garbage in the open for years with no regard to environmental protection. 20 villages to be affected: Raja Farooq, a resident of village Maloot, said the landfill would directly or indirectly affect over 20 villages.Shahzad Town and Bhara Khu were among the villages feared to be affected by the landfill and their population was 40,000 and 60,000 strong respectively, he said. Raja Azhar Mehmood of village Chatran said the CDA had admitted during the meeting that 100 tube-wells had been installed in and around Kuri.He said there were around 150 tube-wells actually installed in the area, which would be polluted with the construction of landfill there. In minister’s defence: Environment Ministry officials defended Afridi’s decision, saying the Planning Commission was the body to decide the matter.They said the minister was not authorised to dictate the CDA and people could have a decision against the project from court under National Environment Policy.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\26\story_26-6-2008_pg11_6
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