ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: One of the most ambitious environment assessment projects of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to check and control urban air standards and water quality is gasping for life.

Pak-EPA, responsible for monitoring and controlling pollution and is an implementing agency of the Ministry of Environment, had no funds to pay salaries to its staff and other important expenditure since July 2008.

“The irony is that all this is happening in 2009 that has been declared by the government as the National Year of Environment,” said several officers endeavouring to make the project a success.

“We have not been paid our salaries for the last seven months,” said an employee who had seen some difficult several months in the past.

There were over 50 inspectors, data analysts and highly qualified chemists for the Activity Based Capacity Development (ABCD) and Environment Monitory System (EMS) engaged for the projects.

Initiated by Pak-EPA with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), EMS is considered to be one of the most crucial and biggest projects in the environment sector.

EMS, the Rs1098 million worth venture, focused on three areas of concern – Ambient Air Standard – test the whole country’s air quality for pollutants such as NO2, SO2, O3, and specially MC or particulate matter.

The project also checked pollution from steel and other industry and performed waste water analysis – countrywide.

“All this requires hi-tech gadgetry worth millions,” said one staff member complaining that all activities were suffering because of shortage of funds.

“In this highly sophisticated lab we can collect data every second, every five minutes and even hourly that is retrieved online from our 10 monitoring stations around the country,” he said, adding that “due to non-interest of the government working of all field laboratories was getting affected.”

The estimated cost of accessories for air monitoring stations crossed Rs10 million every year, he said, adding that, “the last time accessories needed replacement were seven months ago. This hi-tech equipment will soon turn into scrap if not properly maintained.”

So much so, the lab had racked up Rs200,000 in electricity bills, said another field officer.

“More than two weeks ago, Wapda gave us just over a week to clear bills. We don’t know when they will walk in and cut electricity supply and disrupt lab operations,” he said.

While the entire nation celebrated the declaration of 2009 as the National Year of Environment, field officers of Pak-EPA were in distress – they had not been paid their salaries for several months.

Non-payment of salaries was something these highly qualified personnel were not prepared for. In these times of uncertainty, almost all complained of sinking deeper into debts.

“The tone at the top is indifferent to our problems. They asked us to use our own contacts to be paid,” said a field officer trying to put on a brave face but obviously inside it was a different story.

There has been no respite for the staff, they protested.

“We are in a financial limbo. Most of us have taken loans – Rs80,000 or Rs180,000 plus interest. At least provide us our salaries. We have families to support. There are no facilities of staff either – pick and drop etc,” he said.

“The government has invested on our trainings so that we can deliver and make this project a success to fight climate change. All the speeches these big shots made at conferences and briefings would not have been possible unless we put values, numbers and figures to explain what climate change really means.

A Japanese delegation is due next month to give more training and technology transfer,” said the field officer.

The problem of shortage of funds was presented before the Central Development Working Party from where the case went to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council and then passed on to Planning Commission and back to the environment ministry, which passed it on to the finance ministry, where it still sits.