PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has updated its environmental profile on the basis of primary data obtained through collecting 1165 samples and conducting around 14825 tests.
EPA Director General Dr Bashir Ahmad said that Pakhtunkhwa becomes the first province which had already made its environmental profile and has now updated it. The profile has been jointly prepared by EPA and JERS, a Lahore-based engineering consultant, with technical support from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
Speaking at a seminar on the environmental profile, Dr Ahmad said the province had first prepared its environmental profile in 1993, but it was based on secondary data, collected through different departments. Now the province has updated its existing profile on the basis of primary data collected through inspection of 1165 samples.
He also said that a total of 14825 tests were conducted out of which result of 13500 were obtained and remaining were in the conclusion process. So 95 percent work on updating of the environmental profile has been completed and would be finished in the current month of June 2016, he added.
The document is prepared to highlight the critical environmental issues for the province and was designed to assist as a reference and planning guide. The profile was designed to give an analytical assessment of the environmental situation so that policymakers could infer their action and recommendations, he added.
JERS Engineering consultant Dr Sajjad Ahmad made presentations on the data collected on air, noise, water pollutions. During the survey, it was found that levels of air and noise pollution have increased from previous levels obtaining around 20 years earlier, he said. The survey for the collection of the data was held in seven divisions of the province, he said.
In each division, the divisional headquarters were selected for the collection of samples, he said. Similarly, details were obtained from 10 relevant departments including Forest, Wildlife, Fisheries, Education, Communication and Works etc.
He said that it was appreciating measure that the province has updated its existing environmental profile, while in other provinces even profiles were not prepared yet. In the presentation, Dr Sajjad informed the participants that Peshawar daily produces 959 tonnes of solid waste per day out of which 749 tonnes is collected and disposed.
The collection efficiency is 78 percent which is also commendable. In the year 2015, EPA has issued 743 notices of public hearing out of which on 603 notices, punishment were awarded in shape of fine. Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister for Environment Ishtiaq Urmar stressed the need for creating awareness about environmental issues.
He said that the quarters concerned would have to engage people even at gross root level in fight against environmental degradation. “We have to become practical while keeping in view drastic changes in living patterns,” he said. “We did not give proper heed to environmental issues, the loss would be enormous and would be suffered by us and our upcoming generations too,” he said.
– PFI receives new curriculum –
“Pakistan is among the top 10 countries which are most affected due to climate change and global warming. We have to take measures for fighting these challenges,” he said. The government has launched a massive Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation Campaign under which around 180 million samplings have been planted within a period of 18 months, he said.
Similarly, the 40 years old curriculum of the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) was changed and made it more advanced and scientific in accordance with present need of tackling environmental degradation.
