The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change was informed on Monday that Islamabad will be made a plastic free city by the end of this year as the ministry is taking all necessary measures to achieve the goal. The meeting of the committee met with Senator Sitara Ayaz in the chair here at the Parliament House.
The committee was briefed by Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) officials on waste and garbage disposal in the slum areas and issues pertaining to industrial waste and air pollution caused by industries in the federal capital. Director General PAK-EPA, Farzana Altaf Shah gave a detailed briefing to the committee on industrial waste and air pollution caused by the industries working in the federal capital.
She informed that a survey of I-9 Industrial Zone and Kahuta Industrial Triangle was carried out to study the pollution levels and area wise concentration of ambient pollutants. The report of the survey would be launched soon, she added. She informed the committee members that filters have been installed on all steel mills and factories in the federal capital while the work on green industry zone has already been started.
Private hospitals in the federal capital have no incinerator as they claim that it is economically not feasible to place separate incinerators in every private hospital, she said. Additional Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Babar Hayat Tarar said that around 300 brick kilns have been converted on Zigzag technology which is fuel efficient.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has played significant role in implementing zigzag technology, he said, adding the ministry is also looking for alternates for bricks in building material and are also conducting a survey in this regard. He said the ministry is working to provide new air quality monitoring vans and assist in completion of Geomatic Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
Mayor Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz informed the committee members that the proper garbage disposal issue of the city is about to be resolved as major consensus has been developed on the landfill site proposed near Sangjani. Director Sanitation Capital Development Authority Sardar Khan Zimri informed the committee that proper dumpsters are placed in slums of sectors G-7 and F-7/4 for proper waste disposal and solid waste management. He informed the committee members that the department is facing shortage of machinery to clean the nullahs in the city.