Thanks to the provinces' lack of preparedness, all environmental conservation plans, duly approved by Pakistan Environment Protection Council, have fallen by the wayside. A press report points out that the various initiatives Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency had undertaken, such as Air Quality Programme, Drinking Water Standards, Noise Reduction Standards, are on hold. Compliance with Euro standards of fuel quality has also been abandoned. Pakistan was already way behind most other nations in this particular respect.
The report goes on to note that while India is thinking of Euro 4 and 5, Pakistan has not even started observing Euro 1. As a result, the sulphur content of fuel remains much higher than the permitted levels. Compliance with better diesel standards was to come into effect beginning January 2012 and with Euro petrol standards in July 2012, but there is no sign of any of that happening.
Although, Attock Petroleum and Pak-Arab Refinery are complying with the first phase Euro standards, most other refineries are yet to introduce de-sulphurization. Similarly, the initiative to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags and introduction of recyclable ones as well as air quality programme, supported by the Japanese government, have run into trouble.
It is sad, indeed, that the provincial governments are taking so long to get their act together. It has been two years since environment was completely devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment. The ostensible excuse is that the provinces lack the capacity to undertake a range of cleaner environment projects. That though is not an insurmountable problem. The transfer of a host of subjects to the provinces means there is less work for federal bureaucracy as well. The federal government can easily lend, on deputation, the services of experienced and able officers to the provinces to help with capacity building. However, it needs to be noted that before devolution, environment was a concurrent subject. The provinces ran their own environment ministries, and also had their own environmental laws in place. They have been short on seriousness. The real problem is the mindset that is unreceptive to change.
It is time that provincial governments realised the perils of increasing environmental degradation and did something by way of preventive measures. Financial constraints should not be a justification for inaction. Needless to say, every rupee spent on ridding the environment of different air, water, and ground pollutants is worth many more saved on health expenditure. Also, our policy makers and managers must pay heed to the warnings that Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to shifting weather patterns. Scientists are predicting severe droughts and floods in the years to come. It is imperative therefore that together with anti-pollution measures, longer-term environmental protection and preservation strategies are also adopted. There is no time to be wasted. All provinces must do all that is necessary to strengthen their respective environment ministries/departments so that they can deal with existing as well as impending challenges effectively and efficiently.