RAWALPINDI: In a joint operation of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR), Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Environment Department, the assistant commissioner cantonment impounded four garbage trucks of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) from I.J. Principal Road for apparently spreading foul smell in the area on Tuesday.

However, the Westridge and Naseerabad police stations refused to register a case against them as I.J. Principal Road does not come under their jurisdiction.

The assistant commissioner, Nazia Parveen Sudhan, received a complaint that the CDA trucks, carrying garbage to a dumping site along I.J. Principal Road, created foul smell in the area by not covering the garbage.

She asked the district officer environment and the RCB to form a team to impound the vehicles.

However, after impounding the trucks, the team failed to lodge a case against them as the jurisdiction did not fall in the garrison city.

When contacted, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Fahim Zafar Khan said the operation was launched by the CDGR and the assistant commissioner cantonment requested RCB for its force.

He said the RCB could not take action against such an activity in an area which did not come under its administrative control.

District Officer Environment Mohammad Nawaz told Dawn that the CDGR had received complaints about the illegal activity by the garbage trucks. He said the locals were disturbed due to the foul smell and the spread of solid waste on the roads.

He said the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) had already complained to its director general about the CDA for creating environmental problems in the area, especially adjacent to the Punjab Social Security Hospital.

Published in Dawn, August 27th , 2014