The National Assembly was informed on Friday that efforts were underway towards enhancing the early warning and weather forecasting capacity of Pakistan Meteorological Department. Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid told the Lower House during a question hour session that the Meteorological Department had acquired a product of European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, which would enhance the forecasting capacity of the department.
The minister said that although disaster management was a devolved subject however, the National Disaster Management Authority took comprehensive steps in co-ordination with other departments and agencies in preparing a workable strategy to handle floods.
To a question, Hamid told the House that there was no steel mill and brick kiln in residential areas of Islamabad. However, it was a fact that steel mills located in Islamabad industrial area and brick kilns located in peri-urban area of Islamabad, did cause environmental pollution, he added.
He said Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency was monitoring and taking action against steel furnaces and brick kilns causing pollution. He said 45 brick kilns, which were located around airport, were closed down. Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat Raja Javed Ikhlas told the House that under the Trade Marks Ordinance, 2001, neither trademark nor any of its parts could be registered if it consisted of any scandalous design or a matter that might hurt the religious susceptibilities of any section of the society.
He said post exposure vaccines against fatal diseases like, anti-snake bites and dog bite vaccine, tetanus taxied and anti-rabies vaccine were available in PIMS and Polyclinic Hospitals. To a question, Ikhlas said it was not a fact that Hepatitis cases were increasing due to non-availability of potable water in Islamabad. He said there were 37 filtration plants which were providing clean drinking water to the residents of Islamabad. He said CDA regularly checked the functioning of water filtration plants and ensured supply of clean drinking water.
To another question, he said no proposal was under consideration for provision of alternate land to illegal dwellers of Katchi Abadies within the jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory. However, he said the matter regarding Katchi Abadies in Islamabad was before the Supreme Court and the government should implement the directions of the apex court as and when received. He said security was one of the reasons for removing of Katchi Abadies. He said the government would make efforts towards introducing a scheme to facilitate the dwellers of Katchi Abadies.
Replying to a question, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad told the House that PIA had taken planes on dry lease and enhanced its fleet from 14 to 37. He said efforts were underway towards increasing flights on different air routes to facilitate the people. He said PIA paid over Rs 72 million as monthly landing fee at foreign airports.
Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Ashiq Hussain informed the House that the government had shown zero tolerance against encroachments of all kinds of land. He said it had taken across the board transparent anti-encroachment measures in all the provinces as a result of which there had been no fresh encroachments on Railway land. He said in the meanwhile an area of over 966 acres was vacated from encroachers in the tenure of the present government.