KARACHI: In response to a complaint about the unauthorized building of multi-story residential and commercial skyscrapers along Karachi’s coastline, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has initiated action against a private business and issued a warning to the CEO.
As per the details, the forum, headed by Justice (r) Nisar Mohammad Shaikh, has instructed Mohammad Hasnain, the CEO of M/s HMR Waterfront Private Limited, to respond to the complaint by January 17.
The sources informed that Mohammad Iqbal Brohi, a resident of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase-VI, filed a complaint against M/s HMR Waterfront Private Limited, alleging that the firm built the project without complying with Section 26(2)(b) of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014.
He claimed that, in violation of Section 17 of the Sindh Environmental Protection Act of 2014, the company began work on the project without receiving any clearance from SEPA.
According to SEPA Section 17, anybody proposing a project must submit an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) to the SEPA and receive approval from it before beginning any construction activity on the project.
It was disclosed by Brohi in August 2021 that the original or partial construction in question was a temporary site or sales office that began before the EIA procedure was started.
Furthermore, the construction of the project was halted as soon as the corporation learned of the rules and regulations set forth by the law.
In May 2021, Brohi, Noor Ul Amin, and Mohammad Bux drove past the building site and noticed that it was being built without the SEPA’s permission, which is against the law.
In the presence of his witnesses, the complainant snapped pictures of the building activity.
Besides, the company’s refusal to adhere to the regulations specified in Section 17 of the Act, according to Brohi’s attorney who was presenting the case, is illegal and susceptible to penalty.
Based on this, the attorney asked the tribunal to take note of the circumstance and issue a warrant for the owner’s arrest.
Source: Dawn
