KARACHI, Nov 10: In view of the fact that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) criteria has largely been overlooked in mega projects in the province, the environment and alternative energy department is preparing to place the issue in Sindh cabinet soon for a uniform and mandatory implementation of the law.

Sources in the department said that under the instructions of the Sindh chief minister's advisor on environment, officials had initiated work on a comprehensive paper on the subject, so that the cabinet could be moved to make the EIA laws effective.

It is learnt that, the EIA became a legal requirement under the country's environmental laws in 1983, and is considered as an effective tool to safeguard environmental and social aspects of development process. However, the related rules and regulations were notified in 1999.

At a seminar held a couple of months back in the city, some of the government officials and environmental activists, referring to some ongoing projects, including those pertaining to an expressway, a bypass, coastal areas development and housing schemes, oil terminals, commercialization of roads, power plants, desalination plants, industrial waste treatment plants, maintained that the huge projects undertaken by the government or donor agencies were executed without meeting the environmental assessment criteria.

An official of the environment department said that the federal, provincial and district governments, public sector agencies and the private sector, as the main actors, could achieve the objectives of environmental stability and sustainability in the province.

The EIA is aimed at arresting environmental impact at the planning stage of any development project. By identifying the adverse effects of any project at an early stage one can modify and improve the project design timely, the official added.

Another EIA objective is to ensure timely and well-thought-out decisions following sound advice, while on the other hand it encouraged public consultation regarding environmental aspects of proposals before the decisions were made, he said.

The EIA further ensured that the proponents of a proposal or project took primary responsibility for protection of environment, and carried the costs necessary for environment improvement, it is further said.

The environment department officials are of the view that no proponent of any project should be allowed to commence construction work or operations unless he files with the environment agency an initial environment examination (IEE) report or, where the project is likely to cause an adverse environmental effect, an EIA.

The department wants that the provisions in the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, regulations and guidelines for public consultation should be fully implemented.

Purposeful implementation of the EIA process was possible only, if the governments, both at the federal and provincial levels, demonstrated their will and paved the way for effective working of environmental protection agencies, courts and other bodies related to the environmental issues, an independent source said.