EPT Hears Six Cases After One & Half Year's Halt

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Oct, 2021 ) :The Federal capital's Environmental Protection Tribunal was reactivated after one and half years that heard various cases pertaining to violations of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 here on Wednesday.

The Tribunal on Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA)'s complaints issued notice to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for violating the Environmental Laws while expanding the Embassy Road, an official of the Pak-EPA told APP.

He said the Tribunal had also appointed a commission and directed to inquire about the details of sewage treatment plant while conducting hearing of a housing society's case.

Moreover, a case was also heard against a Lahore-based company for violating the Plastic Bags Ban Regulation, 2019.

A total of six cases were heard by the Tribunal where the cases were pursued by Deputy Director, Legal Enforcement, Amir Abbas Khan, on behalf of the Pak-EPA.

The EPA official explained that the Tribunal remained dormant due to the vacant positions of Chairperson and member legal, as the former chairperson was appointed as additional session judge (East-ICT) and the latter got retired after completing his service.

He said the new chairperson and member technical were recently appointed and the Tribunal became functional a couple of months back.

To a question, he said the Section 21 of the Act allowed any individual to raise complaint against environmental laws' violations. "Upon receiving complaints at the EPA a proper team comprising relevant official, lab staff and equipment reach the spot for site inspection and a detailed report of the environmental hazards being reported," he added.

As per Section 16 (1) of the Act, the EPA used to serve a public hearing notice to listen to the accused party and issue directions. "The violators are mainly guided to adopt environment friendly practices to mitigate the damage done to the ecology whereas on repeated violation the Director General EPA has been empowered to allow her staff to seal the premises of the hazardous unit," he informed.

He underlined that if an individual or party was relentlessly violating the law despite the Environmental Protection Orders and notices then the offence was charged as a criminal one for strict action.

He concluded that EPA as per the Act was also taking suo motu action on violations of environmental laws and penalizing the masses for damaging the environment.

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