ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Director General Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab to visit Rawal Dam off and on and submit report with the Registrar Supreme Court about measures being taken to clean Rawal Lake.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that besides Rawal Dam, due to provincial government’s negligence, Ravi River has almost turned into a “gutter”, while Kalar Kahar Lake is also polluted. Additional Advocate General Punjab Jawwad Hassan conceding the failure of provincial government said that steps are being taken now for improvement as an environmental tribunal started working in Lahore.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said there are nine divisions in Punjab and how it was possible for people to approach Lahore to register their complaints.
DG Pak EPA Asif Shuja informed the court that 123 cases have been referred to Punjab tribunal by Pak-EPA, while after devolution of environment ministry to the provinces around 2,200 are yet to be transferred to it. Additional Secretary Cabinet Division, Mushahidullah Beg, told the court that in compliance of the court orders, a meeting was convened by Cabinet Secretary that was also attended officials of Punjab government, Islamabad administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to improve the situation. “There is no use of such meetings if officials come and claim their allowances but produce no results from them,” Justice Jawwad Khwaja remarked. The Chief Justice asked Beg to give three-liner certificate that Rawal Dam’s water is not harmful for the residents of Rawalpindi city and then they would dispose of the case but in case the situation is otherwise then you all officials will be put behind the bars.
On that Beg replied that maximum efforts are under way but it could not be achieved 100 per cent. The Chief Justice asked him if you could give assurance that 90 per cent water is secure for daily uses then they would accept that as well.
Additional Secretary Cabinet Division and other officials did not say anything. The Chief Justice said that it is executive’s task not the court and disposed of its suo moto notice.