Marble factories waste ‘Rs98.88m released for Buner dumping ground’

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) was told on Thursday that in compliance with the court orders, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs98.88 million for dumping ground for disposal of marble factories’ waste causing pollution in Buner district.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai said this to a special green bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ijaz Anwar. The bench was hearing a writ petition of Shamsul Hadi, a resident of Buner, against environmental pollution caused by the waste of marble factories in the district.

The petitioner claimed that there was no mechanism and arrangements for disposal of the marble factories’ waste and thus it polluted environment of the nearby residential areas and became a major source of diseases.

Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Bashir Khan and additional deputy commissioner also appeared in the case.

During hearing, the additional deputy commissioner Buner informed the bench that a special meeting was held on the issue of environmental pollution caused by marble factories in the district.

When the court asked about minutes of the meeting, he replied that he would submit it soon. However, the advocate general said that the proper report would be submitted about minutes of the case before next hearing.

In reply to the high court notice about establishment of a cement factory in Palai area of Malakand, Deputy Commissioner Malakand Salman Lodhi and advocate general informed the bench that before establishment of the factory, the government would conduct a survey about environmental pollution and its impact on the area, which internationally known for greenery and orange production.

They said after solution of all the environmental issues as per the law, the government would decide establishment of the factory.

The EPA director general informed the bench that Malakand deputy commissioner had submitted some reports about the factory establishment that were forwarded to a technical committee and further action would be taken on the reports after public hearing.

The court asked the EPA DG to take comprehensive survey about impact of environment after establishment of the factory in Palai and then take decision about its establishment.

However, counsel for the cement factory Naeem Bukhari submitted before the bench that the high court had no suo motu power to take a notice.

The court observed that the high court had no suo motu power, but whenever there was an environmental issue, the court could ask and direct EPA DG to carry out a survey and submit report.

The court adjourned the case and directed the provincial government to submit progress report about establishment of dumping ground in the case.