Court asks CBP to take action against contractors

Solid waste burning

PESHAWAR: A special ‘Green Bench’ of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the Cantonment Board Peshawar (CBP) to take action against the contractors who burnt solid waste in the open and caused air pollution in the city that has already been declared the second most polluted in the world. 

The two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Ikramullah Khan directed the executive officer of Cantonment Board Peshawar to stop further burning of solid waste and take action against the mentioned contractors.

The bench also asked the executive officer of CBP, who appeared in the case, to comply with the court’s order or else the law will take its course. “The city of flowers has been turned into the city of pollution. The court will not compromise on the pollution issue and would take stern action against the officials concerned if its orders were not complied with,” Justice Qaiser Rashid observed.

The bench issued directions in a writ petition filed by Peshawar-based lawyers Ghulam Shoaib Jaaly and Hamad Hussain Yousafzai seeking directions from the court to give deadline to the government and the agencies concerned to take action on a war-footing against pollution in the city.

During hearing of the case, Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Muhammad Bashir Khan informed the bench that they had time and again issued notices to the CBP to stop burning of solid waste in Katcha Garhi situated in the middle of Hayatabad, Regi Lalma, Askari Colony and other residential localities.

However, Cantonment Executive Officer Adil Rafi Siddique said the CBP had given the solid waste dumping contract to contractors. He assured that the burning of solid waste would be stopped.

The court warned the officials of Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), secretary Transport and Mass Transit Department, director general Planning and Development Authority and district government and administration to submit their progress report about dumping of solid waste and cleanliness before the next hearing.

The court warned that action would be taken against the officials who showed laxity and delay in complying with its orders relating to pollution. It warned that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against them.

The bench directed the WSSP to submit report about installation of dumping point for solid waste in Badaber area.An official of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) informed the bench that the government would start work on Mass Transit Plan in March 2017 to solve the traffic problems in the city.

The bench also took notice of broken roads in the main and busy city bazaars including Shoba Bazaar, Khyber Bazaar, Qissa Khwani and Dabgari Gardens. It directed the Communication and Works Department and CBP to complete the maintenance of the roads within one month and submit progress report before October 27, which is the next date of hearing.

The petitioners said it was revealed recently in the World Health Organisation (WHO) report that Peshawar is the second most polluted city out of 1,600 cities in the world.One of the lawyers said Peshawar city had been polluted since long and different departments were set up from time to time by the provincial government to tackle it. He argued that the federal and provincial governments had spent billions of rupees for the protection of environment and created environmental protection agencies, departments and court and statutes.

He said millions of rupees were spent on the publicity campaign of the provincial government, but the issue of pollution was increasing day by day. The petitioners requested the high court to direct the government and agencies to take stern action against pollution, provide timeframe in which pollution in Peshawar could be controlled, furnish details of funds spent on anti-pollution campaigns and explain the reasons for non-implementation of pollution control measures.