F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Council has decided to conduct fresh environmental profiling of the province and to introduce Zig Zag technology in the brick-kilns in order to control environmental pollution.
The decision was taken during the first meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Council held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting also approved the Rules of Procedure of Councils with necessary changes and constitution of various committees under the council. Provincial cabinet members Ishtiaq Urmar, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, non-official members of the council and other relevant officials attended the meeting.
The forum was briefed in detail about the constitution of council, its powers, responsibilities and other related matters. The forum unanimously agreed to the proposal regarding use of latest equipment for the monitoring of water and air pollution as well as to install automatic sensors to monitor the pollution of industrial units or activities.
It was also agreed in the meeting to install Water Recycling Plants in the industrial zones and the Chief Minister directed the concerned quarters to complete homework to this end.
Briefing about the actions so far taken by the department, the forum was informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2022 have been prepared and would soon be presented before the provincial cabinet for approval.
Similarly, necessary amendments have also been proposed in the Environmental Protection Act 2014 aimed at to effectively control the Environmental Pollution whereas an additional clause has been included in the Act to impose a ban on the use of plastic bags.
The chief minister has directed all the relevant departments and institutions to have an effective coordination mechanism to eliminate the environmental pollution and said that all the departments would have to fulfill their respective responsibilities well in time for the purpose.
He further directed them to ensure strict implementation of the relevant rules and regulations and to keep a vigilant eye on the industrial units causing environmental pollution adding that the power regarding cancelation of NoCs of such industrial units would be assigned to the Environmental Protection Agency.
He also directed the quarters concerned to make the Building Control Authority operational as soon as possible.
