Malir Cantt Board, DHA ignoring environmental laws: Sepa DG.

Byline: Faiza Ilyas

KARACHI -- 'So many buildings have come up in the jurisdiction of the Malir Cantonment Board (MCB) over the past few years without being subjected to the legal process of environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has also built Phase VIII without an EIA. Is there no [environmental] law [in the province]?'

These observations were made by Director General of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Naeem Mughal while wrapping up a public hearing organised on Tuesday in the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) office.

The hearing pertained to the EIA report of a mixed-used housing scheme consisting of seven residential towers and one commercial building, which has been proposed at Plot No. 350, Deh Safoora, in the jurisdiction of MCB.

Mr Mughal was replying to participants' queries raised over the construction of several buildings within the jurisdiction of MCB, apparently without an EIA, a mandatory requirement under the law for projects falling in the category of Schedule II of Sepa rules and regulations.

'In 2017, the department wrote detailed letters to all land-owning organisations, including the DHA and cantonment boards, to share their master plans and ensure compliance with the environmental law. But, we didn't receive any reply neither from the DHA nor the cantonment boards,' he said.

The exercise was repeated this year. The DHA was asked to urgently submit an EIA and a traffic management plan for all commercialised roads in its jurisdiction, including the EIA report of DHA Phase VIII (as well as the projects under the DHA Water Front Development Scheme).

'We are not against development'

'There is no response yet to the March letter of Sepa. We are not against development but it must be within the law. It's important for city's sustainability,' Sepa's top official complained, while regretting that the DHA and cantonment boards' officials also didn't turn up at public hearings pertaining to areas in their jurisdictions despite invitation.

Earlier, the programme started with a presentation on the project titled Credible Towers proposed over 19,360 square yards and the audience was informed that the project site was a commercial plot.

Highlighting some key features of the project, Saquib Ejaz Hussain representing the Environmental Management Consultants-Pakistan, which has prepared the project's EIA report, said the proposed project was a self-contained...