12 November 2004	Friday	28 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: National Environmental Policy, which has been prepared after taking on board all stakeholders, is ready to be tabled before the cabinet, Federal Minister for Environment Maj (retired) Tahir Iqbal said.

He was talking to mediapersons at an iftar-dinner, organized by the ministry here on Thursday.

"A comprehensive environmental policy has been prepared by the ministry after extensive brainstorming with input from all over the country, which will be presented to the cabinet for approval next month", he said.

The ministry has envisaged various projects worth Rs6 billion for the next five years, having far-reaching positive impact on the environment.

The ministry has already set up a national resource centre for continuous monitoring and receiving input from various concerned quarters, he said.

"On Thursday, I personally inspected this centre. It has started compiling data with respect to various environmental issues, which is a good omen for this sector", he added.

Under the new initiative, Self Monitoring and Reporting (Smart), of the ministry, as many as 80 major industrial units have so far been registered.

The ministry wants to extend Smart's coverage to every nook and corner on emergency basis.

About forest management, the minister informed the press that the ministry was in the process to collect latest data on the exact forest cover area of the country, which at present stood at 4.8 per cent. The new study would help the ministry take effective measures for its preservation, the minister said.

With regard to the bio-safety guidelines and rules, the minister said, they had already been prepared and the ministry had sought comments from quarters concerned.

The ministry is also setting up a Disaster Management Authority (DMA) to respond to disasters like Tasman Spirit, wherein tons of crude oil spilled of Karachi seaport.

He also talked about country-wide clean drinking water projects for major urban centres. "We are already in consultation with Capital Development Authority (CDA) in this regard and looking into details of the needs of clean drinking water.