ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The difference of opinion between the federal ministries of science and technology and environment on the setting up of Rs1 billion environmental monitoring systems (EMS) continues as the former has objected to the viability of the project.

The ministry of environment with the financial assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had approved the setting up of the EMS, whereas the ministry of science and technology, terming it a duplication of environmental monitoring facilities, has opposed the project in the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

When contacted, incharge of the ministry of science Dr Attaur Rehman, who opposed the project in the Ecnec meeting, said the environment ministry should come up with solution-based projects.

As far as EMS are concerned, he added, it would only provide data on levels of pollution in major urban centres whereas everybody knows that the levels of pollution, both in air and water, are increasing with every passing day and a number of studies have already been conducted in this regard.

Therefore, the ministry of environment needs to spend more on pollution control projects rather than establishing such monitoring facilities, he added.

He said the environmental monitoring facilities were already present in the public sector and only needed funding for their activation.

“There shouldn’t be duplication of such facilities in a country like Pakistan that too at such a huge cost,” Dr Ata said.

It may be mentioned that the establishment of the EMS project was approved at a cost of Rs1,089 million — local cost Rs89.1 million and Rs1,000 million as foreign exchange component — by the Central Development Working Party on February 18, 2003, for consideration of Ecnec.

However, in the recently-held meeting, Ecnec deferred the project due to objections raised by the incharge of the ministry of science and technology.

In response to a question, Dr Ata said a committee had been formed under Ecnec to determine whether there was a need to set up EMS or the country already had such infrastructure.

A senior official in the environment ministry told Dawn that the ministry was unable to understand the objections raised by Dr Ata.

He said JICA had agreed to finance the project after an in- depth study and it was unjustifiable on part of Dr Ata to oppose the project.

He said at present no public sector department had equipment whereby pollution levels of major cities could be obtained at regular intervals.