Ministry of Climate Change passes on the buck to Punjab departments

Islamabad

The Federal Ministry of Climate Change has passed on the buck to departments of the Government of Punjab when it comes to water pollution in Rawal Lake and Simly Dam.

“Rawal lake and Simly Dam water pollution is mainly attributed to activities in the catchment areas of these reservoirs which fall under the jurisdiction of Government of Punjab,” Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid in a written reply to a question in the National Assembly on Monday said. He said the main responsible departments and agencies include be TMA, Murree, Islamabad administration, CDA, Wasa Rawalpindi, Small Dams Organisation Punjab and Punjab-EPA.

The CDA has constructed check dams and delay action dams in catchment areas of Rawal Lake and Simly Dam to control water pollution, he said. The Islamabad administration has constructed two septic tanks and soakage pits and 103 toilets at Barri Imam Shrine and has allocated funds for construction of two more soakage pits in different areas. Wasa Rawalpindi is regularly monitoring water quality of Rawal Lake while EPA Punjab is monitoring the water quality, upstream of Rawal Lake as the catchment area falls under the jurisdiction of Government of Punjab. Punjab EPA conducted Survey of Korang River along Expressway and old Murree Road and identified 42 points where solid waste and sewage was directly being dumped in the Korang River.

Moreover, he said that nine poultry farms located along Korang River in Punjab area were directed to shift from the existing location within 6 to 8 months time while 3 poultry farms have filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court against the decision of the Environmental Tribunal. Pak-EPA and Punjab EPA have filed 128 and 307 cases respectively in the Environmental Protection Tribunals against persons discharging raw sewage in the fresh water streams.

The minister said to control water pollution in streams and reservoirs, CDA engaged consultants to carry-out the feasibility, detailed design and construction and supervision of the pollution control and sewerage treatment plants in Islamabad.