Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Thursday prodded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asking it to look into the environmental effects of work in progress on Islamabad Express Highway and other projects that could have serious environmental implications. The committee meeting was held in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Yousuf Badini.
The committee directed the EPA and Ministry of Climate Change to conduct survey of factories in Sectors I-9 and I-10 that are causing pollution and spreading different diseases in the area. The committee also expressed reservations over the role of the EPA as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started work on expansion of Islamabad Express Highway without getting environmental impact assessment report from the EPA.
The chairman of the committee said the CDA should look into the environmental effects of the expressway expansion as it was against the rules and regulations of the environment.
"The CDA must have obtained a no objection certificate not only from the EPA but also from its own environment wing before starting work on the project," Badini said. He also suggested the ministry officials present in the committee meeting to try to include the subject of climate change in school and college syllabus. "An awareness campaign about adverse impacts of the climate change should also be broadcast on Pakistan Television at least for an hour daily," he said.
It was also revealed in the committee meeting that post of the Director-General EPA had been vacant for the last many months as the government seemed least interested in appointing a new DG on the post. Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Arif Khan informed the committee members that the former DG EPA Dr Khurshid was accused of misuse of power but the government has now appointed him in Sri Lanka.
"His name was not even in the list of officers who were interviewed for Sri Lanka but he has managed to get a position there somehow," the secretary said. The secretary said that his ministry has written letters to all provincial chief secretaries for implementation of the climate change policy-2012. "It is need of the hour that health, agriculture and energy sectors should also be linked with the climate change and accordingly policies be made for adaptation and mitigation," he said.
Khan informed the committee members that if Pakistan takes some serious steps for adaptation and mitigation in the transport, agriculture and energy sectors, then it can also receive some funding from rich countries and international donors. The secretary said that the climate change and erratic weather patterns may have serious impacts on agriculture sector - agriculture is backbone of Pakistan's economy. He also said that there should be at least 30 climate change experts in the ministry to formulate policies on different subjects but at the moment there are only four.
"We don't have our own engineering technology for any sector. We are just importing each and everything from abroad," he said. Senator Sitara Ayaz suggested the federal and provincial governments should create awareness among the citizens about adverse impacts of the climate change through campaigns. "We should also pay special attention to curb deforestation as forests are vital to tackle the climate change," she said.