ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Climate Change has asked the federal government to abolish taxes on hybrid cars so that rising air pollution could be checked.

A meeting of the committee, chaired by Malik Muhammad Uzair Khan, on Monday also emphasised that fine for violating environmental laws should be increased to maintain the quality of air.

It also discussed the pollution issue at Rawal Lake and death of a large number of fish there in July.

Shaista Perveen, a member of the committee, had raised the issue which triggered a series of complaints against the Islamabad administration and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as different reports were submitted on the death of fish.

The committee members said the Islamabad administration had reported that fish in such numbers died due to the pouring of poisonous substance into Rawal Lake, whereas the EPA reported that death had been caused by bacterial contamination.

However, the EPA representative told the committee that the Islamabad administration only shared the forensic report with them and did not share its report on the quality of water in the lake.

It was decided that all relevant institutions should sit together to find the exact reason for the death of fish.

The committee also discussed the measures taken by the Ministry of Climate Change and the EPA to improve the quality of air.

Syed Abu Ahmed Akif, secretary of the ministry, told the committee that a project for environment monitoring system (EMS) had been launched with the cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in 2005 to strengthen the air monitoring system.

However, he added that after the project ended in 2010, the system became dysfunctional, but the EPA had now revived it at a cost of Rs1.8 million.

When the committee inquired about the air pollution generated by vehicles, an official of the Petroleum Division said all oil refineries, except two, were producing Euro-II compliance products.

The committee was informed that the ministry had also imposed fine on the refineries that were not meeting the Euro-II standards.

Regarding the query that licences for coal power plants were being issued by the provinces, Mushahidullah Khan, Minister for Climate Change, told the committee that electricity generation through coal was negligible in Pakistan as compared to India and China where it was around 40 per cent and 60pc, respectively.

“Pakistan is generating 35pc electricity through renewable sources,” he said.

The committee discussed the implementation of Climate Change Act 2017 and the current status of Climate Change Authority (CCA).

Mr Akif told the committee that in July this year, the climate change ministry had written to the Establishment Division for preparation of rules of business for the CCA, besides holding many meetings, but the rules of business were yet to be prepared.

The federal secretary also briefed the committee on the Climate Change Council (CCC) and said the council would comprise over 40 members of which 30 would be taken from private and 10 from public sectors.

Kishwar Khan, a member of the committee, suggested that at least two members — one each from the National Assembly and the Senate — must also be included in the CCC.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2017