Civil society activists concerned over tree felling for BRT

PESHAWAR: The Civil Society Organisations including Institute of Architects of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karwan Tanzim, Sarhad Conservation Network and Maureen Lines Trust have expressed concern over felling of hundreds of precious trees in Peshawar as a result of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Through a statement, it said the recent tree felling for the BRT in Peshawar has reached the final stage across the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) building.

It added that hundreds of huge trees comprising various species like Almaltaas, Apple, Sheeshum, Peepal and Banyans have been sacrificed for road expansion to accommodate the final station of BRT in Hayatabad Phase 5.

According to the statement, many experts wonder if this massive felling of trees was avoidable if civil society and independent experts had been part of the planning process in the earlier stage.

“The BRT project was hurried in a three-month timeframe with little input from experts or environmentalists,” it argued.

“The EPA again failed in its obligation of raising objections on the loss of biodiversity and recommending alternate designs whereby tree felling could be avoided,” it maintained.

“Although Imran Khan had often boasted that not a single tree shall be felled in Peshawar BRT, the mistakes in design and planning have led to massive destruction of ecosystem which is indeed lamentable,” the Civil Society Organizations statement said.

“Due to absence of environmental body to keep a check on the project, it was expected that it would result in serious environmental degradation.

“Roads and development without shrubs, old trees and green belts are not only unaesthetic but contribute enormously to ill health, chest and CVS infections, even cancer,” the statement pointed out.

It warned that the challenge of climate change threatens to turn all major Pakistan cities into arid deserts. It lamented that policy makers and administrators do not factor in the economic and health costs of ecological degradation.

Meanwhile, the statement noted that the civil society members met the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) director general and requested him to kindly revisit the BRT design. They told him that destruction of ecosystem could have been prevented if the design was open to public debate and scrutiny on time.

The statement said the following points were discussed and agreed in a meeting held Tuesday and chaired by PDA Director General Israrul Haq at PDA offices in Hayatabad regarding BRT design attended by PDA horticulture, roads and BRT staff and civil society members:

1.Tree felling was inevitable due to errors in planning of BRT route. However, there was alternate arrangement for tree plantation along Ring Road.

2.PDA to introduce new act to incorporate tree felling by laws. It sought help from the civil society for input in drafting of the act.

3.The existing capacity for transplantation of trees is limited due to rocky ground and tree height and girth and limitations in the use of machinery. PDA was asked to increase its capacity and get appropriate technology to scoop out earth along with entire tree for transplantation.

4.Civil society to aid PDA in ‘Adopt a Tree’ campaign in Peshawar schools. PDA would provide free saplings and civil society would arrange sessions in schools.

5.Public interest petition to be filed by civil society against large truck compounds along the Ring Road causing pollution. 6.A body of civil society members would be notified.