10 November 2004	Wednesday	26 Ramazan 1425

LAHORE, Nov 9: The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has issued no-objection certificates (NoCs) for the construction of two cement plants in Kahoon Valley, Chakwal , despite concerns about their possible negative impact on the local environment and an archaeological site.

Before ruling in favour of the projects, the EPD held two public hearings on the proposed construction site last month.

Sources in the EPD told Dawn on Tuesday that the department was under "pressure" from the chief minister secretariat to grant the NoCs.

According to rules, an NoC is issued after establishing that the project has no negative impact on the environment. For this purpose, an environment impact assessment (EIA) is carried out.

However, the EIA in the two proposed cement plants is described by some of the EPD officials as 'flawed and misleading'.

Surprisingly, the NoC has not been issued according to the section 12 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997 (PEPA). "Had the department asked the project owners to fulfil the requirements of the PEPA, it might have taken them three to four months before the NoC could be issued under the act," a senior EPD official told this reporter.

The NoC, however, has been issued under clauses 4 & 6 of the notification (No AEA III 3\9\91) of the provincial mines & minerals department.

Under these clauses each district government has to declare a "negative area" for the industry. A district committee, after consulting all stakeholders and in the light of general policy guidelines, declares the negative area.

Besides, the government has the right to refuse establishment\enhancement of any industrial undertaking which is in contravention of the public interest, ecology or any other law\rules in force.

"Since the two clauses indicate that none of the stakeholders has produced a copy of the order (issued by the competent authority) declaring the site for the proposed projects as negative area for the industry, therefore, the EPD has raised no objection to the construction of the cement units at the proposed site," the NoC says.

It may, however, be mentioned that the industries department had asked the district governments some eight months ago to declare the negative areas in their districts so that a controversy did not arise while initiating any industrial project. But only a few district governments have so far complied.

"Had the Chakwal government surveyed the negative area such a conflict would not have arisen," an official said. Besides this, he said, the environment guideline showed that no archaeological site existed in Chakwal district which ruled out its historic significance.

When contacted, Punjab Environment Minister Makhdoom Ashfaque said the NoC was issued on the assurance of the investors that they would not use the machinery detrimental to the environment.

"Despite issuance of the NoC, the EPD will continue monitoring installation of the plants to check any violation of the environment laws," the minister assured.

On the other hand, the federal archaeology department is of the view that the proposed cement factories' pollution may damage the Malot Temples located some 4km away from the proposed site.

Delailpur, Khairpur, Khokhar Bala and Meghal villages are the areas said to be directly exposed to the environmental degradation.

The residents say that the excavation and transportation of clay will pollute the valley, which has so far escaped the menace. They allege that the investors, in connivance with the officials of the revenue department, have forced them to sell their agriculture land to them for the purpose.

They say that other villages like Badshahpur, Dalwal, Arar, Dari Saidan, Tatral, Wahoola and Dulrian would also face a possible environmental disaster. "We will challenge the decision of issuing the NoC in the Supreme Court," they said.

The WWF has also expressed its concern over what it dubs as "unauthorised" construction of a cement plant in Kahoon valley.

A WWF official said the EPD should have returned the EIA of the projects as incomplete.