Selection of site for Kuri landfill: Public discussion fails
Selection of site for Kuri landfill: Public discussion fails
to reach decision
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: A public discussion on selection of site for Kuri landfill held here on Saturday ended without reaching a conclusion, as officials of Pak-EPA and Capital Development Authority (CDA) failed to satisfy public reservations about the project. However, a committee was constituted to address the public concerns. The meeting was called by Pak-EPA to address the public concerns raised during a public discussion held on August 19, 2006.During the Saturday’s meeting, officials of Pak-EPA said that the agenda of the meeting was to discuss the Kuri Composed Plant. However, the civil society members and environmentalists were of the view that the modalities of the composed plant should be discussed after selection of site for the landfill.They reminded Pak-EPA Director General Asif Shuja Khan that during the 2006 public hearing it was decided that a committee would be constituted to find a suitable location for the landfill other than Kuri.Dr Amir Haider Malik, professor of environmental sciences at COMSATS University, Abbottabad, who had attended August 19, 2006 meeting as one of the nominated environmental scientists of the CDA and Higher Education Commission (HEC), was also present on the occasion.He told the meeting that it was decided in the previous meeting that a committee comprising stakeholders and independent environmental experts would be formed to select a suitable site for the future landfill for Islamabad, but nothing could be done in this regard.Talking to Daily Times, Malik presented press clipping of the accord reached between the CDA and Pak-EPA to constitute a committee to relocate the landfill site because of its potential threat to the twin cities water table.Talking about the technical aspects of the project, he said Pakistan Meteorological Department had agreed that Kuri was located on seismic fault lines and in the eventuality of a major earthquake, waste could seep into the water channels of Rawalpindi.He suggested that alternative safe sites could be found in Fatehjang or Sawan to secure long-term quality and quantity of surface and underground water in the region instead of selecting Kuri for the proposed landfill.The civil society representatives said they were not against the landfill project but were dissatisfied with selection of Kuri as site for the landfill.Committees constituted: Pak-EPA and CDA have directed constitution of technical and social committees within 15 days to finalise the project and address the public reservations in this regard.The committees would comprise Arshad Abbasi, Ali Raza, a representative of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), MNA Dr Tariq, environmentalist Dr Amir Haider, and representatives of CDA and Pak-EPA.CDA version: Deputy Director General Sanitation, CDA, Mustafain Kazmi told Daily Times that the residents of Kuri had no reservations about the landfill project.“It is only pseudo environmentalists and experts who want to shift the landfill site to another place for their vested interests.” He said Saif Group, a private company, would fund the project.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\25\story_25-5-2008_pg11_1
to reach decision
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: A public discussion on selection of site for Kuri landfill held here on Saturday ended without reaching a conclusion, as officials of Pak-EPA and Capital Development Authority (CDA) failed to satisfy public reservations about the project. However, a committee was constituted to address the public concerns. The meeting was called by Pak-EPA to address the public concerns raised during a public discussion held on August 19, 2006.During the Saturday’s meeting, officials of Pak-EPA said that the agenda of the meeting was to discuss the Kuri Composed Plant. However, the civil society members and environmentalists were of the view that the modalities of the composed plant should be discussed after selection of site for the landfill.They reminded Pak-EPA Director General Asif Shuja Khan that during the 2006 public hearing it was decided that a committee would be constituted to find a suitable location for the landfill other than Kuri.Dr Amir Haider Malik, professor of environmental sciences at COMSATS University, Abbottabad, who had attended August 19, 2006 meeting as one of the nominated environmental scientists of the CDA and Higher Education Commission (HEC), was also present on the occasion.He told the meeting that it was decided in the previous meeting that a committee comprising stakeholders and independent environmental experts would be formed to select a suitable site for the future landfill for Islamabad, but nothing could be done in this regard.Talking to Daily Times, Malik presented press clipping of the accord reached between the CDA and Pak-EPA to constitute a committee to relocate the landfill site because of its potential threat to the twin cities water table.Talking about the technical aspects of the project, he said Pakistan Meteorological Department had agreed that Kuri was located on seismic fault lines and in the eventuality of a major earthquake, waste could seep into the water channels of Rawalpindi.He suggested that alternative safe sites could be found in Fatehjang or Sawan to secure long-term quality and quantity of surface and underground water in the region instead of selecting Kuri for the proposed landfill.The civil society representatives said they were not against the landfill project but were dissatisfied with selection of Kuri as site for the landfill.Committees constituted: Pak-EPA and CDA have directed constitution of technical and social committees within 15 days to finalise the project and address the public reservations in this regard.The committees would comprise Arshad Abbasi, Ali Raza, a representative of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), MNA Dr Tariq, environmentalist Dr Amir Haider, and representatives of CDA and Pak-EPA.CDA version: Deputy Director General Sanitation, CDA, Mustafain Kazmi told Daily Times that the residents of Kuri had no reservations about the landfill project.“It is only pseudo environmentalists and experts who want to shift the landfill site to another place for their vested interests.” He said Saif Group, a private company, would fund the project.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\25\story_25-5-2008_pg11_1
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