Parliament panel slams CDA, EPA for inaction
ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly’s committee has sounded the alarm over worsening environmental mismanagement in the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), revealing shocking gaps in solid waste and sewage treatment by commercial establishments operating within the protected area.
Chaired by MNA Munaza Hassan, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change convened on Monday to review environmental governance across key sectors, including water security, electronic and medical waste, and the fragile ecology of MHNP.
Waste without oversight
In a detailed briefing to the Committee, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) disclosed that 48 eateries and tuck shops inside the park generate over 576 kilograms of solid waste daily, much of which remains untreated. While some businesses rely on municipal or private collectors, others resort to on-site burning, posing serious health and environmental hazards.
Even more alarming, 27 establishments reportedly lack any sewerage system, discharging untreated wastewater into surrounding soil and streams, including tributaries that feed directly into Rawal Lake.
“This is a recipe for ecological disaster,” remarked one committee member, criticizing the fragmented waste management practices and lack of enforcement.
Agencies at odds
The Committee expressed deep concern over the absence of coordination among the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the IWMB, and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), despite repeated directives and the ecological sensitivity of the national park.
While the CDA claimed that park boundaries were finalized through demarcation in 2023, the Committee noted contradictions and a lack of a unified management plan. The Ministry of Climate Change added that a zoning initiative—currently underway in partnership with WWF and IUCN—aims to regulate human activity in the park, but progress remains slow.
Medical waste & e-waste gaps
Separately, the Executive Director of PIMS hospital informed the Committee about the facility’s color-coded medical waste management system, monitored by a dedicated committee including EPA representatives. Despite having an incinerator with a capacity of 1,000 kg/day, the hospital still outsources part of its medical waste due to a 20% excess in daily waste generation.
The Committee also raised red flags over unregulated electronic waste (e-waste). Despite Pakistan’s accession to the Basel Convention over two decades ago, no legal framework exists to monitor or manage the country’s rising e-waste burden.
Call for urgent action
Calling for immediate inter-agency coordination and robust enforcement, the Committee urged all relevant stakeholders to treat environmental management as a national priority. Without swift action, members warned, the ecological degradation of the Margalla Hills could become irreversible.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Shaista Khan, Shaista Pervaiz, Syeda Shehla Raza, Shagufta Jumani, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Rana Ansar, Ghulam Muhammad, Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Shahzada Muhammad Gushtasap Khan, and Ayesha Nazir (via video link).
