'NWFP taking steps to combat environmental degradation'

The government of NWFP is taking all-out measures for combating environmental degradation in the province and it has started allocating developmental budget for protection and promotion of the environment for the first time in the province.
The provincial government had also decided to set up four Vehicle Emission Testing Stations (VETS) in Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan to control emission of toxic gases from vehicles. He added that the VETS at Peshawar were regularly checking hundred of smoke emitting buses, cars and auto rickshaws.
The Provincial Minister for Environment Shah Raz Khan stated this while talking to a delegation from Malakand led by Shahab Hussain Tehsil Nazim Batkhela.
He said all the concerned departments including Forest, Wildlife, Fisheries, Environmental Protection Agency and Transport were focusing on the training of human resources. In this connection, he said the Forest Department had recently set up four new directorates of research & development, community developments, human resources, Directorate of Planning and Evaluation to train its human resource in the fields of biological conservation, forestry, wildlife and bio-diversity.
"The department has banned two stroke rickshaws, the main cause of spreading pollution and replaced it by four stroke rickshaws for its better quality", Shah Raz added.
He said the Environment Department has recently installed kits in 20 rickshaws on experimental basis to reduce the emission of toxic gases, emitted by tri-wheeler in the city.
The Provincial Minister said a total of six developmental schemes of Peshawar localities including covering of dirty drains, linking phase-1 and phase-II in Hayatabad, plantation at graveyard on Charsadda road and Rahman Baba besides, road-side plantation had been completed for ensuring better environment to city dwellers. Moreover, the department has established environmental clubs at the govt schools against the health hazards of pollution to human health," he added.
"The Forest Department under its 10 years plan has evolved a visionary policy to increase the forests from existing 17.8 per cent to 25 per cent of the total area through participatory and integrated approach, he mentioned. He said the project for running CNG buses was awaiting Chief Minister's approval and soon would be launched in Peshawar.
The project, he said, would be later replicated in other cities of the province for controlling air pollution.
He also informed that provincial government had submitted a project to the Federal Government for cleanliness of river Kunhar, Swat and Punchkora by separating sewerage water from them.