Margalla Hills are in danger because of an over-zealous sense of development
THERE are several national parks in Pakistan and probably the most popular and most frequently visited is the Margalla Hills National Park.
Spread over an area of more than fifteen thousand hectares, this national park is situated on the northern, eastern and western fringes of Islamabad, encompassing within it, Rawal Lake as well as Shakar Parian.
Declared a national park in 1980, Margalla Hills are not only an ideal picnic spot of the local and the national population, it also protects the animals, plants and natural scenic beauty of the area. However, like all national parks in the country, making the area more accessible to people or providing entertainment for its visitors disturbs the plant and animal life, thus contributing the environmental degradation of the area.
Nature walks, bird watching sessions, hiking, trekking and camping have long been popular. And if performed with caution, have only a negligible, negative environmental impact. Still, the increasing cause of concern are an increasing number of motorists visiting Margalla. This can be attributed largely to the popularity of the restaurants that have cropped up in the last few years.
The recreation area at Daman-e-Koh has been a crowd puller ever since it opened more than a decade ago. But the establishment of barbecue joints, namely at Gocina and Pir Sohawa means that more people are making their way further up into the hills.
Under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance, 1979, interfering with wildlife, its habitats and consumptive use of natural resources is prohibited, especially in areas designated as national park. But increasing visitors means that disturbance of wildlife is inevitable, especially when the park authorities are themselves taking steps to encourage visitors.
Not only has the Capital Development Authority initiated widening of the road that leads to these recreation spots, they have also installed streetlights to aid motorists after sundown. Both these actions are bound to have a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna of the park.
Road widening is much needed and even though some trees will have to be cut, under the circumstances, it appears to be a necessary evil. However, installing streetlights will encourage motorists to throng the park area even late at night disturbing the diurnal and nocturnal wild animals. Lights attract moths that will in turn attract reptiles and insect feeding birds. Thus streetlights will upset the delicately balanced ecosystem of the National Park, change the social behaviour of the animals and restrict their free movement. Moreover, there will be an increased chance of animals getting killed by traffic. Clearly, such interference with wild life is against the rules and norms of a national park.
If all this was not enough, CDA plans to install a chairlift within the premises of the National Park. And a chairlift cannot be complete without a tea stall, a restaurant, a souvenir shop and maybe even a children’s play area. It goes without saying that the number of visitors to the National Park will increase manifold. So will littering, air, water and noise pollution. For the public, the chairlift will be a much welcome recreation spot. But for the animals, it was bring more bad news.
Most environmentally ignorant people would support the above changes. In a dull and boring city like Islamabad, the entertainment-starved public needs some outlet. And even if some trees are cut, some animals disturbed, does it really matter?
In the short term, maybe not. It is likely that no dramatic change will be seen in the next couple of years. But given the same influx of visitors with their careless attitude to the environment, the next twenty years could see the Park’s endemic species such as the Gray Goral, Barking Dear, leopard and many beautiful birds becoming endangered. Coupled with other problems such as illegal encroachments, stone quarries, forest fires, fuel woodcutting, poaching and misuse of natural resources, the Margallas could soon lose their present splendour and natural beauty — the very reason that makes them so popular.
I am not advocating that the National Park should be closed to the public. We have every right to enjoy the beauty of the park and learn from it. However, it is also important that we leave the beautiful surroundings of the park unimpaired for the benefit of the next generation. And this is not difficult. With support from CDA, help from environmental organizations, and education of the public, the negative impact to the park can be minimized.
For instance, it is acceptable to encourage people to visit the hill restaurants in the daytime. But by closing the restaurants at night, switching off street lights and educating people about the negative effect of night driving, undue disturbance of the animal life can be avoided.
As for the chairlift project, it is imperative that an honest, unbiased and thorough Environmental Impact Study is undertaken before any work is started, not an eyewash to support a preplanned decision. And if approved, then every effort should be made to minimize damage to the flora and fauna of the National Park during the construction as well as operation of the chairlift.
Environmental organizations, notably World Wide Fund for Nature and the Margalla Hills Society are doing their part to educate the public on conserving the Park and proper use of its resources. Signs have been posted at several places in the hills and every couple of weeks, lectures, nature walks, camping trips etc., are organized especially for school children. However, along with public education, strict enforcement of the rules against hunting, littering, woodcutting, illegal encroachments etc., need to be imposed and enforced with strict fines.
Moreover, the CDA has to ensure not to authorize any construction, building, or development work that is detrimental to the National Park and the life that abounds in it.
Margalla Hills are in danger because of an over-zealous sense of development 
