Chief Minister Murad Ali Shahhas been urged to direct the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) to engage the public in the review process of the Sindh Env-ironmental Protection Act 2014 and its rules and regulations, it has been learnt.
A letter written by three senior lawyers also calls for a strategic environmental assessment of the amendments to the law as proposed by the department.Sources said the letterhas been written against the backdrop of the government’s initiative to amend the Act and rules, without engaging the public in the review process — a mandatory obligation under the law.
In this respect, they said, a draft had already been sent to the law department for vetting. The department, sources said, recently held a high-level meeting to discuss the amendments and framing of new rules but there was no mention of engaging the public in the review process.
The letter on the subject, ‘Infringement of the fundamental rights to environment and information by Sindh, environmental protection, coastal, development and climate department’, is written by advocates Shahab Usto, Ghulam Rasool Soho (a member of the Sindh Bar Council) and Zubair Ahmed Abro.The letter says that the proposed amendments are reportedly, inter alia, in respect to disposal of industrial effluent; amendment to the provision ‘regulating initial environmental examination (IEE)’ and environmental impact assessment (EIA); powers of the environmental protection tribunal.
“These changes would ultimately have an effect on environmental protection in the province of Sindh. It would be apposite to point out here that due to increase in climate induced events including heavy rains, heat waves, prolonged gap in rain resulting in droughts the provincial environmental law requires stringent provisions for its compliance, and an effective environmental protection agency,” it says.
It refers to the Section 18 of the 2014 Act which provides for carrying out a strategic environmental assessment of policies, legislation, plans and programmes prepared by any department and agency.
“All provincial government agencies, departments, authorities, local councils and local authorities responsible for formulating policies, legislation, plans and programmes to be implemented in Sindh province which may cause any environmental impact in the jurisdiction of the province shall, before submitting the same to the competent authority for approval, be forwarded to Sindh Environmental Protection Agency for a strategic environmental assessment
