LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday told the Punjab government that a judicial commission will monitor the process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the ‘Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme’.

Justice Shahid Karim passed the direction after hearing multiple petitions relating to environmental issues. The judge had already restrained construction work on the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project till the approval of its EIA report.

Recently, another high court judge, in a separate petition, restrained the provincial government from taking a final decision on the EIA of the riverfront project. The petition questioned the impartiality and legitimacy of the consultant which prepared the EIA for the government.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Karim observed that Lahore had been recklessly ruined as it became the second most polluted city in the world.

Earlier, the judicial commission comprising retired justice Ali Akbar Qureshi submitted a report that 46 sugar mills had been given notices and a deadline till March 2 to submit their EIAs and design of waste water treatment plants. The report further said that 37 brick kilns had been sealed, 10,197 vehicles challaned and 143 fuel stations sealed for violation of environmental laws.

The judge directed the commission to take the sugar mills to task for failing to submit EIAs regarding installation of water treatment plants.

Representing a petitioner, Advocate Sheraz Zaka argued that the public functionaries failed to perform their statutory obligations as EIAs had not been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for major development projects. He said the air quality index in Lahore had deteriorated to adverse levels due to smog. He also asked the court to order strict action against the sugar barons over grave violation of laws.

The judge directed the government that the judicial commission would monitor the process of EIA for the Naya Pakistan housing project. He also asked the government to come up with a clear stance as to whether the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) was executing the housing project or an independent body.

The judge sought a progress report from the commission by next hearing. Additional Advocate General Anees Hashmi and legal advisers of LDA and EPA were present in the court.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2021