Pak-EPA asks CDA to stop Zero Point Interchange project
Pak-EPA asks CDA to stop Zero Point Interchange project
* Pak-EPA DG says CDA launched project without submitting EIA report to agency * Says project is polluting environmentBy Atif KhanISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) on Monday issued orders to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to immediately stop construction work on Zero Point Interchange project.The orders were issued under Section 16 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, after the CDA failed to submit the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project despite reminders of the PAK-EPA.Pak-EPA Director General Asif Shuja Khan told Daily Times on Monday that the decision was taken after the CDA started the project without submitting the EIA report to Pak-EPA. He said that the project was launched without obtaining environmental approval required under Section 12 of the Pakistan Environmental Project Act, 1997 and the EIA Regulations 2000.The PAK-EPA DG said that orders were issued due to massive chopping of trees and dust pollution caused by construction activities of the project. He said that the concentration of dust particles in the air in the capital was dangerously high, putting the health of residents on high risk. Shuja said that the visibility in the capital had drastically decreased, adding that Margalla hills could not be seen if there was no rain for a few days. He said that dust particles could cause serious illnesses that could cause cancer.The Pak-EPA official said that the increase in concentration of dust particles was due to massive chopping of trees and construction activities. “The CDA has converted the city of trees and lakes into bricks and mortars,” he said, adding that orders to stop the project were issued to set a precedent for provincial environment protection agencies to take action against any activity harming the environment of the country.“The massive cutting of trees and excavation of earth not only degraded environment but also caused inconvenience to the public,” Shuja said.He said that Pak-EPA was of the view that environmental protection laws were equally applicable to public and private sectors as the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) took notice of environmental implications in the development process and directed the federal and provincial government departments to submit the EIA reports of projects as a mandatory requirement under the law. However, he added that the CDA never bothered to submit EIA reports.Shuja said that one such case was pending in Service Tribunal Lahore against the chopping of trees and not submitting the EIA of different road expansion projects.Sources in the Environment Ministry told Daily times that Pak-EPA issued orders after consulting Federal Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi after the CDA did not respond to objections of the Pak-EPA.They said that Afridi gave the agency a green signal, saying that public sector should set a precedent by adhering to environment laws for the private sector to follow to achieve the objective of sustainable development in the country.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\02\story_2-12-2008_pg11_1
* Pak-EPA DG says CDA launched project without submitting EIA report to agency * Says project is polluting environmentBy Atif KhanISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) on Monday issued orders to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to immediately stop construction work on Zero Point Interchange project.The orders were issued under Section 16 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, after the CDA failed to submit the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project despite reminders of the PAK-EPA.Pak-EPA Director General Asif Shuja Khan told Daily Times on Monday that the decision was taken after the CDA started the project without submitting the EIA report to Pak-EPA. He said that the project was launched without obtaining environmental approval required under Section 12 of the Pakistan Environmental Project Act, 1997 and the EIA Regulations 2000.The PAK-EPA DG said that orders were issued due to massive chopping of trees and dust pollution caused by construction activities of the project. He said that the concentration of dust particles in the air in the capital was dangerously high, putting the health of residents on high risk. Shuja said that the visibility in the capital had drastically decreased, adding that Margalla hills could not be seen if there was no rain for a few days. He said that dust particles could cause serious illnesses that could cause cancer.The Pak-EPA official said that the increase in concentration of dust particles was due to massive chopping of trees and construction activities. “The CDA has converted the city of trees and lakes into bricks and mortars,” he said, adding that orders to stop the project were issued to set a precedent for provincial environment protection agencies to take action against any activity harming the environment of the country.“The massive cutting of trees and excavation of earth not only degraded environment but also caused inconvenience to the public,” Shuja said.He said that Pak-EPA was of the view that environmental protection laws were equally applicable to public and private sectors as the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) took notice of environmental implications in the development process and directed the federal and provincial government departments to submit the EIA reports of projects as a mandatory requirement under the law. However, he added that the CDA never bothered to submit EIA reports.Shuja said that one such case was pending in Service Tribunal Lahore against the chopping of trees and not submitting the EIA of different road expansion projects.Sources in the Environment Ministry told Daily times that Pak-EPA issued orders after consulting Federal Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi after the CDA did not respond to objections of the Pak-EPA.They said that Afridi gave the agency a green signal, saying that public sector should set a precedent by adhering to environment laws for the private sector to follow to achieve the objective of sustainable development in the country.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\02\story_2-12-2008_pg11_1
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