PESHAWAR, June 5: The amount of Rs500,000 allocated in the last budget for betterment of environment in the province has not been utilized so far for want of proper environment schemes.

This was stated by Programme Manager of IUCN, Shuja-ur-Rehman while speaking at a seminar held in connection with World Environment Day at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday. The seminar was jointly organized by the IUCN and the press club.

He said the provincial government had established a fund for environmental development and Rs500,000 were allocated in the last budget. He said that the federal government hadn’t formulated any rules for the utilization of funds as yet and that was the main reason behind slow-paced environment improvement activities here.

The IUCN official said that in the next provincial budget a handsome amount would be allocated for the improvement of environment, while the staff and number of zonal offices of Environment Department would also be increased.

Shuja-ur-Rehman said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had been established to enforce environmental laws in the public and private sectors. Its regional offices were also set up in Swat, Hazara and Dera Ismail Khan to create awareness among people about environmental issues.

The conservation of natural resources and protection of environment at district level was now the responsibility of these regional offices, he said.

The provincial environment department and the Environmental Protection Agency along with the Forest Commission were working on different projects for the protection and conservation of environment, he added.

With the constitution of Forest Commission, there has been three to five per cent increase in the forest area over the last few years. Referring to projects like Urban Industrialization Project, Mountain Areas Conservatory Project, Environment Rehabilitation Project in the NWFP and Punjab, he said these projects had been initiated to check environmental degradation.

Dr Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Chairman, Environmental Department, University of Peshawar, highlighted the importance of protecting environment. “Environment knows no boundaries and development and environment go hand in hand”.

He said that industrial development could not be stopped but measures could be adopted to minimize damage to environment due to large-scale industrialization.

Mr Zafarullah Khan, a representative of Green Press, Islamabad, threw light on the role of media in creating public awareness regarding environment. He urged the journalists to play their role in this regard.

WALK: The Institute of Computer Management Sciences (ICMS) organized a walk in connection with World Environment Day in Hayatabad township. The students and teachers of ICMS took part in the walk with great enthusiasm. The Nazim of town-3, Hayatabad, who also participated in the walk, said the provincial government was trying its level-best to make the environment free of pollution.