ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has deferred an over Rs1 billion project of the federal environment ministry for setting up air and water monitoring stations in the federal and provincial capitals.

Informed sources told Dawn that in a recent meeting the Council asked the ministry to re-check whether such facilities were already existing and needed in the country or not.

The Establishment of Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) project was approved at a total cost of Rs1,089 million—local cost Rs89.1 million and Rs1,000 million foreign exchange component—by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on February 18, 2003 for consideration of the Ecnec. However, the environment ministry represented by the secretary, Javed Zafar, and the director-general Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), Asif Shuja Khan, in the Ecnec meeting couldn’t convince the participants of the feasibility of the project, the sources said.

Interestingly, the state minister for environment, who had been propagating the usefulness of the EMS since its approval by the CDWP, was not present in the meeting as he had been in Saudi Arabia to perform Umra. A senior official of the environment ministry told Dawn on condition of anonymity that it was really embarrassing for the minister, as he had been boasting about the EMS publicly for quite some time.

Being critical of the Ecnec’s decision of deferring the setting up of the EMS till its next meeting, he said at present India had around 275 such air and water monitoring stations.

Similarly, developed countries of the world are not only concerned about the quality of air and water within their geographical boundaries but also monitoring environmental conditions of their neighbouring countries.

“Under the emerging scenario, the setting up of the EMS in the country is as important as building hospitals since the levels of air and water pollutions are fast increasing, he argued.

The official said if established successfully, the EMS would be helpful in data collection on environment conditions throughout the country which was not available so far in whatsoever form.

The basic emphasis behind setting up of nationwide network of monitoring laboratories is to secure the scientific knowledge needed to take administrative measures for improving the fast deteriorating water and air quality in the country.

It will further ensure effective operations of the regional Pakistan Environmental Protection Agencies (PEPA) as well as their monitoring and protection functions.