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PESHAWAR, June 5: President Pakistan Environmental Lawyers Association Dr Pervez Hasan has urged the government to introduce proper legislation, on the pattern of developed countries, for conservation of nature and to tackle pollution problem in the country.
He was addressing at a function organised on the World Environmental Day-2005 by Social Welfare Society Khyber Medical College (KMC) and Sarhad Conservation Network here at the college‘s auditorium on Saturday.
“There is no constitutional commitment to fight pollution in Pakistan”, he said and added that not only oceans but also drinking water sources had become extremely contaminated. He said land and air pollution had made peoples’ lives miserable but there was no system to check pollution and evaluate its causes.
Growing tendency of deforestation is another serious threat to preservation of nature and government should ensure the laws to control it, he added.
He said there is no proper system of waste disposal in big cities of Pakistan where such waste is dumped in un-habited areas. This, he said, plays its role in polluting atmosphere.
He said industry is vital for progress of a country and one can not imagine development with out it but they should be made environment-friendly. Control on pollution needs political will which is missing in our leaders, he said and added that in Lahore all the executives, legislatives and civil societies members gathered to form an unanimous approach towards pollution and they succeeded in getting assurance from bus owners, auto rickshaws to convert their vehicles to CNG.
He said with out public participation, government can not be able to implement environmental laws effectively. He said media also has capability to play its effective role.
Dr Noor Jehan of Department of environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar said that mostly labours working in different industries are infected by different diseases. She said silica that is used in many metals and products is responsible for causing lung diseases.
Dr Muhammad Bashir and Dr Jahangir Durrani, also delivered lectures on air, water and solid-waste pollution.
CONCRETE STEPS URGED: Tehsil Nazim Malik Qudrat Gul on Sunday urged the government, non-government organizations and community members to join hands for the protection of environment.
Speaking at a ceremony held in connection with the World Environment Day under the auspices of the National Commission for Human Development at the Town Hall, he said pollution had emerged as one of the largest threats to human life with the constant increase in population. He said people would have to wear masks if concrete steps were not taken to check pollution.
