The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Wednesday were informed that some 111 illegal housing societies had been established in the federal capital without fulfilling legal formalities and in violation to the law.
The committee meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly (MNA), Nuzhat Pathan and took stock of briefings on Real Estate and Regulatory Authority (RERA) Act, details of Housing Societies in Islamabad causing severe damage to the environment and sewage system in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), report regarding attack on Director General, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2019 at Savour Foods, comprehensive briefing on all Restaurants located in Margalla Hills causing severe damage to the environment with poor sewage system specially the complete case study of Monal Restaurant with previous follow up.
The chairperson expressed her resentment on the absence of Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Noor-ul-Amin Mengal. She said the CDA chairman was asked to attend the meeting prior to the start of the committee and should attend the next committee’s meeting. She queried the CDA officials, “How do you authorize housing societies and keep an eye on the changing climate? How are the slum dwellers destroying Islamabad?”
She regretted that the civic agency and relevant departments did not sit and plan to implement tasks with cooperation. She directed the CDA officials to compile a special paper and brief the committee on the matter in the next meeting. Director General, Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Farzana Altaf Shah briefed the committee that every institution did not give full approval to any housing project, whether the agency gives environmental approval or not, the CDA started its work on the project.
The committee chair directed that all senior officers of CDA and environment attend the next meeting that would focus on housing societies of Islamabad only. On the matter of a mafia’s attack on DG, Pak-EPA Farzana Altaf Shah, Nuzhat Pathan said the police should have cooperated with the civic agency in enforcement drive as it was shameful to hear that a women officer and head of EPA was manhandled by private business outlet staff.
She added that the Capital administration was going to fight with the mafias. The ICT Police officials on the occasion said that the police used to cooperate with whosoever reached it. He assured that the ICT Administration should take action wherever there was an issue and give prior intimation to the police for proper security arrangements.
He added that where the DG EPA was misbehaved with, the police would arrest its owner. The committee directed the DG Environment to take action along with the police and the police to take action against those who attacked the DG EPA.
MNA, Shakila Luqman of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regrettd that what should the committee talk to the CDA staff on other than the briefing as the chairman was absent. MNA, Shaista Pervaiz of PML-N said, “We should sit together with CDA and Human Rights Ministry and ask for coordination on the crosscutting matter.” MNA, Shahida Rehmani of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) said the federal capital was being destroyed and the parliamentarians were sitting idle.
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCCC) Syed Mutajaba Hussain said whenever the Ministry formulated a policy, it consulted all institutions and then used to take approval. The committee also expressed its indignation on revival Polythene bags’ use despite ban and demanded the MoCCC officials and others to initiate a strong media campaign to effectively implement ban of plastic bags. On the issue of Monal Restaurant’s Sewage affecting environment and wildlife of Margalla Hills National Park, Shaista Pervaiz said such restaurants were built all over the world, closing it was not a solution, because there was already unemployment in the country. She inquired the MoCCC, Pak-EPA and CDA officials on any discussion pertaining to the environment.
Since 8 years this problem was the same, she added. MNA, Romina Khurshid Alam of PML-N said if the authorities concerned did not want to close Monal then its should impose a heavy fine on it as the fine imposed was very low that the hotel administration did not bother. The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board officials briefed that the High Court said that Monal’s lease had expired. On behalf of Monal, an appeal was submitted in the High Court and the Supreme Court, which was not being heard yet.
The decision of the High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court to revise decision of the High Court, the Board officials said.
DG-Pak-EPA Farzana Altaf Shah added that Monal’s building belonged to CDA, if sewage system was built, the natural springs would get dirty, the foundation of the building itself was poorly constructed.
“The three restaurants are in the wrong place, CDA’s sewage system is not on the entire Margalla Hills National Park. There used to be a spring in Saidpur village which had clean water but now it has become a drain of dirty water,” she added.
