ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has cautioned the Capital Development Authority (CDA) against permitting the construction of a cricket ground in Shakarparian which is a protected area.

In response to recent news about plans to build Islamabad’s very own cricket ground, the environment watchdog has written to CDA Chairman Sheikh Ansar Aziz reminding him that any development activity in Shakarparian National Park would be a violation of the law.

“We have written to the civic agency to verify the news that appeared in the media that the CDA had allowed construction of a cricket ground in Shakarparian. A similar letter has been written to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), asking it to consider an alternative space for the sports facility,” said Pak-EPA Director General Farzana Altaf Shah.

She said her office had written to the PCB in February reminding it that any construction activity in the Shakarparian National Park was prohibited under the law.

“In fact, we have asked the PCB to take corrective measures and rehabilitate the piece of land it has damaged by clearing vegetation, by planting more trees there. Pak-EPA has asked the PCB to consider an alternative space for the cricket ground,” said Ms Shah, adding the PCB had not responded to the letter.

She said Shakarparian was a protected area under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and had been declared so almost the same time when the Margalla Hills National Park was protected under the same law in 1980.

CDA Chairman Sheikh Ansar Aziz told Dawn that there were no immediate plans to build a cricket ground in the near future. He said the PCB had shelved its plan to build a cricket stadium, a hotel and a training academy.

“However, there is a new plan under discussion on building a green cricket ground, the kinds that we see in Australia and a few other countries that have grassy mounds for the spectators instead of concrete and plastic seating like we have in stadiums,” said Mr Aziz.

He said since the PCB had given up on the idea of solid construction such as building a luxury hotel and a training academy, the green cricket ground was a better proposition with as little harm to the natural setting of the Shakarparian as possible.

He conceded that the PCB had been allotted a piece of land in the protected area of the national park to build an international standard cricket stadium and PCB had already paid for it.

Mr Aziz said the land was in the possession of the PCB. The area was already cleared of vegetation and its boundary demarcated with a barbed wire fence.

“There is no harm in having such a green cricket ground with just a pavilion that will only add to the sporting activities in the federal capital,” the CDA chairman said.

Underpasses

About the planned underpasses on Faisal Avenue, connecting sectors G-7 with G-8 and F-7 with F-8, the CDA chairman said the first option would be to transplant trees that stood in the way of development instead of chopping them down.

Most of the trees that are likely to be transplanted are 40 years or so old evergreen pine trees that have added a dash of green along the Faisal Avenue throughout Islamabad’s severe winters.

The CDA chief said the civic authority did not have the machines to pull trees out of the ground to plant them in newer locations.

“However, we can borrow machines from the development authority in Lahore, if need be.”

He said transplanting trees in Islamabad had had an estimated 50pc success rate in the past.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2017