Evidence of the damage wrought by ill-planned development projects and unchecked urbanisation and commercialisation can be found across the Murree region. On Tuesday, during a suo motu hearing on the proposed chopping of trees to facilitate a gas supply project, the Supreme Court expressed concern over the hill station's future.
Over the years, the region has featured construction projects that are either unsuitable or fail to address environmental concerns. In some cases governmental efforts to control the problem have proved ineffective, largely because laws are not enforced. For example, despite a 2003 ban imposed by the Punjab government on the construction of high-rises, such buildings continue to be erected. Many violate building laws and are unsuitable for an area that is geologically unstable, where landslides are a frequent phenomenon. In other cases environmentally damaging or unfeasible projects have been launched, such as the New Murree Development Project initiated in the late '90s. Last year, government representatives admitted that the project had been shelved because of the environmental threats it posed. In general, development projects across the Murree region have failed to factor in issues ranging from water supply and sanitation to architectural harmony and heritage.
It is essential that this trend be reversed. The region is a valuable natural asset. Much of its prime forest area has been in the reserved category since colonial times. Its fragile ecosystem requires protection, particularly since the country already faces acute forest resource scarcity and a deteriorating natural environment. Furthermore, portions of the Murree hills have high watershed value and constitute a catchment area for the region. We welcome the Punjab government's decision to drop the tree-cutting project, as the SC was informed on Tuesday. It should be followed by the development of institutional mechanisms that prevent unilateral decisions being made in the context of Pakistan's natural assets.
