SEPA Expedites Disposal Of Environment Related Public Complaints

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jan, 2020 ) :Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has disposed off, during past three months, a total of 217 public complaints related to various types of environmental violations in different areas of the province.

SEPA spokesman sharing details of the exercise here on Wednesday said prior to their disposal, the complaints were technically and legally examined paving way for most appropriate action as per the provisions of Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014.

This, he said is to control all types of pollution for the purpose of ensuring sustainable development in the province mentioning that environmental and legal aspects of another 76 complaints, of similar nature, are currently in process of disposal.

"These are being duly examined so that could also be disposed of effectively in accordance to the environmental regulations of the province," he said.

Of the 217 complaints disposed of so far, 112 were mentioned to be from Karachi region, 24 each from Hyderabad and Sukkur, 14 from Mirpurkhas, 12 from Larkana and remaining 31 from other parts of the province.

SEPA spokesman said participants of the Tuesday meeting of Public Complaints Cell of Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Department, chaired by Khan Muhammad Mahar, the provincial secretary for environment, observed that the reported violations were mainly committed in vicinities of towns and cities of the province.

Owing to lack of access of any appropriate monitoring over there, environmental violations were being committed openly in such places, commented one of the senior SEPA official.

In-charge SEPA Public Complaints Cell and its Additional Director General Waqar informed the meeting that usually considerable time is required to examine each complain from both technical and legal point of view.

Environment Secretary was also informed that support of local police is mostly required for taking action to address the public complaints based in far flung areas.

For ensuring availability of police force at stipulated time of action, they are to be informed well before time. Moreover, availability of police force at the time of SEPA's action is subject to absence of any emergency situation in the jurisdiction of the police, elaborated Waqar Halepoto.

Participants of the meeting were informed that for effective actions on public complaints regarding operations of illegal bricks and battery kilns besides sub-standard oil manufacturing police support is urgently required.

This, was said to be besides the fact that legal action has been taken against several of these unauthorized units yet their numbers demand much more and easy availability of police assistance.

The senior official said SEPA's team assigned with such tasks have to wait till the availability of required number of police force so as to undertake the urgently needed action.

Non-availability of essential support was reiterated to delay the action and that many of such complaints also remain in pending due to no fault of SEPA.

Those who attended the meeting included Deputy Secretary, Environment Department Tipu Sultan; Director SEPA Karachi Region Dr Ashique Langah; Deputy Directors Waris Gabol, Azhar Khan, Abdullah Magsi; Coordinator Complaints Cell of the Department Agha Gul Muhammad; Assistant Directors Mubarik Ali, Muhammad Shoaib and Abdul Malik.