The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came under fire during National Assembly’s standing committee on climate change and environmental coordiantion’s session on Wednesday as the province grapples with record floods.
MNA Malik Awais Jakhar lambasted the NDMA for incompetence and demanded answers on behalf of his district – Layyah.
“Committees have been formed for one and a half years [but] has any result been produced?” he asked. Jakhar further criticised the NDMA for failing to appear before the standing committee despite multiple summons.
This year, the torrential rains have flooded the rivers, with high-flood alerts being issued by the NDMA.
“Layyah city is being protected by one embankment. If it breaks, my city drowns,” said Jakhar, decrying lack of funds. He lamented that all funds were being redirected to bigger cities while smaller cities in South Punjab were drowning.
The NDMA has not even included Layyan in its worst-affected list, Jakhar told the standing committee asking members to tell him who to call upon for help. “People [in Layyah] are affected by the floods, they are bringing bodies in boats.”
On deforestation, pollution
The standing committee also took up the problem of smoke-emitting vehicles and deforestation.
“Crusher machines and marble quarries in Haripur are causing massive destruction,” said committee member Shaista Khan.
Climate change ministry secretary apprised the committee that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has made it mandatory for every house in Islamabad to now include a rainwater harvesting system during construction.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Transport Authority Secretary Kamran Cheema said that efforts were made to stop smoke-emitting vehicles in attempt to combat smog in the region.
The committee refused to accept this, however, with members stressing on EPA rules formed in 2008 and subsequent failures to enforce them.
The meeting concluded that EPA lacked adequate equipment to regulate vehicle emissions.
Cheema then assured member lawmakers that more equipment has been procured and EPA has started implementing its rules.
The committee observed that of the 1.7 million vehicles registered in Islamabad, emission tests have been conducted on only 876.
Climate change and Environmental Coordiantion Standing Committee Chairperson Munaza Hassan noted, “next year, the country expects to recieve 22% more rainfall”.
She lashed out at the residents of Islamabad stating that they can afford “808 million-rupee homes, but can’t buy three dustbins?”
She further lambasted the excessive use of plastic and observed that even aid being delivered to flood victims comprises of thousands of plastic bottles.
Hassan directed the committee members and other officials at the meeting to make it mandatory for private companies to install machines for collecting plastic bottles. “I feel like the entire country will end up underwater,” she bemoaned.
