ISLAMABAD, April 26: The federal ministry of environment will soon launch five solid waste management projects in all the five districts of the Northern Areas.

Briefing a 24-member delegation of visiting journalists from the Northern Areas, the director general of environment said that they had decided to launch waste management plants at Gahkuch, Chilas, Skardu, Khaplu and Gilgit towns of the region for which proposals had been received and funds from the donors were being sought through transparent mechanisms.

Mr Khan said that journalists played a vital role in portraying a true picture of the growing environmental and development issues in the Northern Areas, and dissemination of accurate information would strengthen the links between civil society, government and communities.

He said that a participatory approach towards problems understanding would provide the solutions as well and there was a need to build a strong interface between NGOs, individuals and different agencies.

He suggested developing of a web portal of the region so that more knowledge about the issues could be made accessible.

Mr Khan also said that they had established an environmental directorate in Gilgit, which was being equipped to monitor the regional environmental issues.

To a query he said that they were receptive to the environmental issues and alert to the situations. He maintained that he would provide all out support to the agencies and individuals, who were eager to work in the environmental sector.

Mehmud Akhter Cheema and Shehzad Ahmed briefed the journalists’ team at IUCN-P offices in Islamabad about the environmental rehabilitation and information services undertaken by the IUCN in the NWFP and the Northern Areas.

Mr Ahmed said that they had developed Northern Areas Management Information System so that the data regarding the region could be disseminated all over the world.

He further added that in the Northern Areas they had arranged IT trainings for government agencies and journalists.

He said that on the request of the Northern Areas administration they had also produced a disaster relief website for the quake-affected people so that it would facilitate donors, NGOs and philanthropists to obtain exact data regarding the quake disasters.