RAWALPINDI: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has postponed the public hearing on the dumping of waste from Islamabad on Chak Belli Road in Losar, a suburb of Rawalpindi.
This move came after the Punjab Environment Protection Department opposed the hurriedly called public debate.
Last week, the Rawalpindi administration allocated 1200-kanal of land to the CDA in Mauza Losar to dump the capital’s waste in violation of a court order.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema had given formal permission to the CDA to dump all garbage and harmful hospital waste from Islamabad at the Losar dumping site.
However, the Punjab Environment Protection Department objected to the public hearing’s hastily called nature, which is against section 9(3) of the environmental regulation.
It also raised concerns about the public hearing’s location, which is 50 kilometers away from the project site and is inaccessible to residents.
Moreover, residents have announced their intent to file a contempt plea against the Rawalpindi administration for allowing the CDA to dump waste at Losar in violation of the court order.
They have also stated that due to the dumping of garbage, citizens are already suffering from various ailments, including cancer, skin diseases, tuberculosis, throat, stomach, and eye irritation.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had approved removing the dumping ground spreading on 1,250-kanal at Losar and moving it to Mandra–Chakwal Road.
However, the Rawalpindi administration decided against the order of the high court and allowed the CDA to dump the capital’s waste at the current dumping site.
This move has angered residents, who have vowed not to permit any truck or vehicle to dump garbage at Losar after Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to Mohammad Asif advocate and Imran Aziz, who represents the residents, the high court had decided to remove the dumping ground from Losar and shift it to Mandra Road on their earlier petition.
They said that Islamabad is a separate district, so how can the garbage of the federal capital be dumped in Punjab? They have decided to challenge the decision in the high court.
The CDA has decided to contact the Punjab caretaker government to set a new date for the public hearing to obtain the NOC after failing to obtain it swiftly, declaring the project environmental-friendly.
Earlier, the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench ruled that the garbage dumping site at Losar, covering 1,250-kanal, was illegal and unlawful.
Please do not postpone this thing because Rawalpindi is very beautiful and tourist attract city of Pakistan. Every project will be complete on the time.
Garbage is treasure,In develop world garbage is blessing if it’s use properly.its a big source of earning .it’s is use in generating electricity.manuare and various other products.
Here we put all the garbage in rivers and in natural streams.
It’s time to develop a project on garbage management.which can generate employment as well as safe the environment.