LAHORE, July 10: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) has initiated work on formulating a strategy for ensuring execution of development projects without compromising conservation of natural resources of the province.

A meeting of the EPD high-ups held on Monday and chaired by environment minister Makhdoom Ashfaq Ahmad assigned Nespak the task of framing the Punjab Sustainable Development Strategy (PSDS).

Among others, environment secretary Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal, director-general Kamran Ali Khan, director Dr Shagufta Shahjehan, deputy directors Amir Farooq and Nasimur Rahman attended the meeting.

The Nespak will accomplish the three-phased project within two years at a cost of Rs10 million, EPD officials say.

The strategy will tackle issues like improper enforcement of environmental laws, unsuitable management of housing schemes, construction of high-rise buildings in congested areas, release of untreated civic and industrial refuse into the natural environment, improper solid waste management, deforestation, and unauthorised hunting of wildlife, they say.

Mechanisms will also be developed for adopting the PSDS.

The PSDS will be devised in line with the “Vision 2020 of Punjab” after getting feedback and raising public awareness through seminars and workshops, they add.

It will prioritise projects for execution by provincial and district governments while offering officials training to take up projects for natural resource management.

The EPD has also asked the Nespak to develop a model landfill facility in Gujranwala and Multan districts as well as a solid waste management plan specifying ground water pollution devices and building capacity of these district governments.

The landfill site design includes access roads, weighing bridges, storage and transfer stations of solid waste, drainage and gas management facilities, besides monitoring wells.

Time duration for the scheme costing Rs2.0 million has been envisaged as 12 months.

The EPD has also started work on preparing a model healthcare and non-biodegradable waste management programme for Gujrat and Bahawalpur districts.

The project will cover development of a model hospital waste management facility, recovery of non-biodegradable waste from municipal waste and training of stakeholders of the project.

Incinerators will be installed for non-biodegradable waste disposal for minimising risks of emission of toxic gases produced in case of open dump burning, while guidelines for waste, both risk and non-risk, minimisation will also be provided.

The project will be completed in 12 months at a cost of Rs2.6 million.