The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination onWednesday were informed that some 111 illegal housing societies had been established in the federal capital without fulfilling legal formalities and in violation to the law. The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly NuzhatPathan and took stock of briefings on Real Estate and Regulatory Authority (RERA) Act. The committee was informed that the illegal housing societies in Islamabad causing severe damage to the environment and sewage system in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). A report regarding attack on Director General, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2019 at a food outlet, comprehensive briefing on all restaurants located in Margalla Hills causing severe damage to the environment with poor sewage system specially the complete case study of Monal Restaurant with previous follow up came under discussion.
The chairperson expressed her resentment on the absence of CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal. She said the CDA chairman was asked to attend the meeting prior to the start of the committee and should attend the next committees meeting. She queried the CDA officials, “How do you authorize housing societies and keep an eye on the changing climate? How are the slum dwellers destroying Islamabad?”
She regretted that the civic agency and relevant departments did not sit and plan to implement tasks with cooperation. She directed the CDA officials to compile a special paper and brief the committee on the matter in the next meeting. Pak-EPADirector GeneralFarzanaAltaf Shah briefed the committee that every institution did not give full approval to any housing project, whether the agency gives environmental approval or not, the CDA started its work on the project.
On the matter of a mafia’s attack on DG, Pak-EPA FarzanaAltaf Shah, NuzhatPathan said the police should have cooperated with the civic agency in enforcement drive as it was shameful to hear that a women officer and head of EPA was manhandled by private business outlet staff. She added that the Capital administration was going to fight with the mafias.
The ICT Police officials on the occasion said that the police used to cooperate with whosoever reached it.
