KARACHI, Dec 22: Minister of State for Environment Malik Amin Aslam has said that the Environmental Tribunal would start functioning, as per the Supreme Court directives, from January 8 in all four provinces. This would help resolve environmental problems, he added.

He was talking to a delegation of National Forum for Environment & Health, led by its chairman Dr Qaiser Waheed, according to a press release issued here on Friday.

He said complaints regarding industrial pollution, ecological effects of various projects, and air pollution caused by private concerns, trade & industrial organisations and local bodies, etc. could be lodged with these tribunals.

The minister emphasised on creating public awareness of environment and significance of the tribunal, and said that NGOs and lawyers could play an important role in this context. He noted that environment assessment had been made mandatory before construction of residential, trade and industrial units. No project would be given NOC without the environment assessment, he declared.

Regarding illegal cutting of mangroves along the coastal belt of Karachi, the minister described the practice as ‘a national crime’ and warned of stern action against those responsible. He asked the Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim and the concerned town nazims to initiate action to curb the practice.—PPI