KARACHI         -    Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has disposed of, during the past three months, a total of 217 public complaints related to various types of environmental violations
in different areas of the province. SEPA spokesman, while sharing details of the exercise,
here on Wednesday, said prior to their disposal, the complaints were technically and legally examined paving way for most appropriate action
as per the provisions of Sindh Environmental Protection
Act, 2014.This, he said, was to control
all types of pollution for the purpose of ensuring sustainable
development in the province mentioning that environmental
and legal aspects of another 76 complaints, of similar nature, were currently in the process of disposal.“These are being duly examined
so that could also be regulations of the province,” he said. Of the 217 complaints disposed of so far, 112 were mentioned to be from Karachi region, 24 each from Hyderabad
and Sukkur, 14 from Mirpurkhas,
12 from Larkana and remaining 31 from other parts of the province.SEPA spokesman said participants
of the Tuesday meeting
of Public Complaints Cell of Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development
Department, chaired by Khan Muhammad Mahar, the provincial secretary for environment, observed that province. Owing to lack of access of any appropriate monitoring over there, environmental violations
were being committed openly in such places, commented
one of the senior SEPA official. In-charge SEPA Public Complaints
Cell and its Additional
Director General Waqar informed the meeting that usually considerable time is required to examine each complaint
from both technical and legal point of views.Environment Secretary was also informed that the support of local police is mostly required for taking action to address the public complaints reported from far-flung areas.For ensuring availability of police force at stipulated
time of action, they are to be informed well before time. Moreover, availability of police force at the time of SEPA’s action is subject to absence of any emergency situation in the jurisdiction