PEPA Directs SC Housing Scheme Authorities To Re-submit EIA Report

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) during the public hearing of Supreme Court Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme directed the authorities concerned to re-submit their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and termed the environmental report generic and unrealistic sans technical details

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2021 ) :Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) during the public hearing of Supreme Court Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme directed the authorities concerned to re-submit their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and termed the environmental report generic and unrealistic sans technical details.

Addressing the public hearing Director EIA Monitoring of Pak-EPA Ahsan Rafi Kiani said the acquired land for the project was over 2,200 kanals and the society to be developed was spreading over 1,739 kanals.

Kiani lambasted the project consultant and proponents for merely planning 1,200 trees plantation in the society, which was inconsistent to the project scale.

He directed the authorities concerned to revise the EIA Report and resubmit it for formal approval with all public and Pak-EPA concerns addressed in the new version.

While commenting the solid and liquid waste management and water conservation, he said the EIA Report had no details pertaining to a proper solid waste management system and water supply for such a large population to be accommodated in the scheme.

The project proponents Mr Samiullah, Project Consultant Mr Shahid and Ms Tayyaba presented the EIA Report and actively responded to experts, public and media queries.

Ms Tayyaba said that there were 2 kanals of land comprising of a single kanal plot each for two separate solid waste collection sites.

She said that three-bin solid waste collection system was proposed in the project layout which would help ensure on source segregation and also that on the collection site.

She further said that rainwater harvesting, energy conservation through solar systems and traffic management plans were already part of the development mechanisms.

A sewage treatment plant with an expandable capacity of 3 million gallons per day would be installed for liquid waste treatment was part of the project plan that could be beefed up with increasing population, told the project consultant.

Mr Shahid said that solid waste dumping site would be sorted out after consultation with the Capital Development Authority. Moreover, safe traffic management during the construction phase would be ensured through speed control and other mitigation measures proposed in the plan, he added.

Responding to a query, project proponent Mr Samiullah said that there were 15 parks proposed with at least 30 percent tree cover in the society. "Noise pollution will be a major issue due to Kashmir Highway and will plant trees as a barrier to contain it," he added.

Ahsan Kiani urged the masses to send their recommendations and suggestions in writing within next 10 days so that it could be incorporated in the revised EIA Report.