ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee on Monday rejected the proposed establishment of an international cricket stadium at Shakarparian, which is a part of the National Park area.

The Senate standing committee on climate change, which met at Parliament House with Senator Mir Mohammad Yousuf Badini in the chair, took up the decision of the Pakistan Sports Broad (PSB) and rejected it.

The committee members said the project would leave long-lasting impact on the environment. “A large number of trees will fall victim to the construction of the stadium and there is no need for a stadium,” said Senator Sitara Ayaz.

Her concern was seconded by other members particularly Senators Samina Abid and Mushahid Hussain Syed.

The senators said during the construction of the parade ground in Shakarparian a large number of trees were already chopped.

The committee directed the PCB to focus on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which was located a few miles away from the proposed site. They said the federal capital did not need a new cricket stadium as it already had several.

It may be noted that former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani recently also rejected the PCB’s proposal to establish a stadium the capital.

He told a press conference that since Islamabad didn’t have a big population, the stadium project would only cause an environmental damage to the city.

In 2012, the CDA and the PCB signed a memorandum of understanding under which the civic agency allotted 35 acres to the PCB on which the latter was supposed to construct the stadium on its own. As per the MoU, after the development of the facility, the CDA would get 30pc of the income and the remaining 70pc would go to the PCB.

Earlier, the committee also discussed various issues such as pollen allergy cases, vehicle smoke emission and ensuring the imposition of a ban on manufacturing and use of polythene bags in the federal capital.

Member Environment CDA Sanaullah Awan told the committee that during the last two decades the civic agency chopped more than 40,000 paper mulberry trees.

He, however, said approximately 60,000 trees were still growing in the capital territory, particularly in the National Park area where removal of trees was not allowed.

He said paper mulberry was considered a major source of allergy which needed eradication but strong opposite views against the complete removal of this tree had haven received from environmentalists.

The member said environmentalists were of the view that drastic cutting of the tree would result in the loss of greenery.

Mr Aman said keeping both the points in view - the negative impact of the tree and concerns of environmentalists - the CDA had decided to remove only those paper mulberry trees which produced and shed pollen whereas the female trees were harmless and would be retained.

He also told the committee that steps were being taken for ensuring the ban on the use of polythene bags.

He, however, said stopping the manufacturing of plastic bags did not come under the preview of the CDA. In 2013, the federal government imposed the ban on the use, manufacturing, import and sale of non-degradable plastic products in the federal capital.

A representative of the Islamabad Traffic Police told the committee that they were taking action against the smoke emission vehicles. “We challaned 771 vehicles in 2014, 656 in 2015 and in ongoing year we have fined 372 vehicles.”

The committee was informed by the ministry of climate change that in 1989 the CDA had handed over 583 acres of land to the ministry for the establishment of a botanical garden in Bani Gala but so for the facility could not be developed.

“The ministry is looking for a partner to develop the garden on a public-private partnership basis.”

The committee also discussed the recent report of National Institute of Oceanography on the rising sea level and possible sinking of Karachi in the next 35 to 45 years.

A representative of the climate change ministry said the estimated rise in the sea level was 1.2mm per year which would be doubled in the next 50 to 100 years. He said a study on the coastal areas was underway.

But Senator Nighat Mirza said technical help from countries which have expertise in this subject should be sought. Secretary Climate Change Syed Abu Ahmed Akif suggested that an international conference to discuss the issue should be convened in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2016