KARACHI Environmental Tribunal sits idle as no case turns up
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 20: After spending millions of rupees on salaries and buildings for years the government finally got its environmental tribunal commissioned at Karachi about a month back, but in an uninspiring manner.
Specially, when incidents of pollution and degradation have been on the rise within our territorial jurisdiction, we at the tribunal expect to receive a lot of cases and try quarters for offences as described in the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, but so far, strangely, are rendered to sit inoperative, said a senior official of the tribunal on Friday.
The Karachi tribunal meant for the Sindh-Balochistan region was notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice and Human Rights in October 1999. However, with the announcement of another environmental tribunal for Balochistan, it is clear that now the
Karachi-based tribunal will handle the cases originating in the province.
At present the tribunal is complete with the posting of a chairman, a judge of the high court, two members, one as technical and another as legal. For every sitting of the tribunal, the presence of the chairperson and not less than one member is necessary.
The tribunal officer said that any aggrieved person, group of citizens, organisation or federal agency or any government agency or local council could submit complaints to the tribunal in writing.
Quarters not satisfied with the decision taken in their case by an environment magistrate, environmental protection agency or any other government agency can also submit appeals to the tribunal, the officer informed.
On the other hand, concerned quarters, who believe that cases of environmental violations could be instituted almost daily in the megapolis, expressed the view that at least the Sindh Environmental Agency and NGOs claiming to champion the cause of human rights and conservation should come up now.
According to an insider, despite communications Sepa, which is operating in the province for long, has not been able to file a single case so far at the ET against the polluters. The reason could be shortage of technical staff at the agency or non-employment of any competent person to handle the legal affairs, the source added, commenting that Sepa should report cases to the tribunal as well, in order to restore the confidence of aggrieved quarters in its businesses.
The tribunal officials feel that cases could be filed on different sorts of pollutions, unethical and unsafe activities by many of the industries and transporters and careless dumping of chemicals and pesticides and unsafe and non-scientific disposal of solid waste, sewer water and hospital and pharmaceutical wastes in the city and some other districts of the province, said the source.
One of the tribunal member said that it was also under active consideration of the Sindh ET that its chairman should be allowed to take cognizance of environment-related offences on his own in the larger interest of people and to discourage polluters. Provision for suo motu action on environmental issues can be a good addition in the environment rules, the member remarked.
However, some of the citizens contacted by Dawn said that location of the tribunal was also a point to ponder. The office of the tribunal, set up on the ground floor of a residential bungalow situated in the commercial avenue of DHA Phase-4 is little known by people.
While more staffers are yet to be received for tribunal, the existing facilities hardly prove to be an ideal place of working for about 15 people, including the chairman, two members, registrar, reader and cashier. A spacious room for court proceedings is also needed for the tribunal, confided a staff member.
