Comprehensive study on e-waste: Govt in process of seeking financial support

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change was informed that the Government of Pakistan is in the process of seeking financial support for a comprehensive study on e-waste.

The committee meeting was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of MNA Syed Mustafa Mehmud.

The secretary Ministry of the Climate Change briefed the committee regarding its recommendation about the issue of disposal of electric vehicles’ expired batteries.

The Committee was informed that rapid growth of the electronic industry and high rate of obsolescence of electronic products lead to the generation of huge quantities of electronic waste (e-waste).

The government is in process of seeking financial support for a comprehensive study on e-waste.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Pakistan has expressed initial intent to fund the study.

The Committee directed the ministry to share, in the next meeting, the e-disposal models adopted by the other countries.

For improvement in climate, the Committee suggested that import and manufacturing of electric vehicles should be facilitated in the country and it should be made mandatory to buy solar panel for charging purpose, for whoever buy electric vehicle or he must pay extra duty.

The Committee deferred the bill titled, “The Pakistan Environmental Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (moved by Amjad Ali Khan, MNA” till its next meeting.

Point of order regarding problems of crushing plants in Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) near Khanpur area causing damage to environment was discussed.

The ministry informed that MHNP extends from ICT up to territorial jurisdiction of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with a major portion falling in Punjab.

Presently, no stone crushing activity is being carried out in territorial jurisdiction of the ICT.

The Committee was not satisfied with the presentations delivered by the Environment Protection Departments of Governments of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and decided to defer the discussion on the issue to the next meeting of the committee.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021