ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday requested the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to carry out the environment impact assessment (EIA) of a landfill site the civic body plans to set up in H-16.

Currently, the CDA is using the under-developed I-12 sector as a landfill site.

“We have sent a letter to Pak-EPA, requesting it to carry out the EIA,” said Civic Management Deputy Director General Sarwar Sindhu.

Speaking to Dawn, he said the CDA would set up a temporary landfill site in H-16.

Sources said citizens of the area had objected to the new proposed landfill site, saying it should be set up in an abandoned area instead of a residential sector.

Residents raise objection, want site outside residential area

“Yes, we have received some objections but that are not substantive as CDA has the authority to set up the landfill site in H-16, which is an institutional sector,” he said.

To another query, he said the proposed landfill site was outside the area and restricted by the Civil Aviation Authority.

In a highly questionable move, the CDA has been dumping garbage in I-12, which is a planned residential sector and the civic agency is now going to develop it.

The CDA has so far disposed of millions of tons of untreated garbage there. Its officials said that since 2011-12 the CDA had been disposing of more than 500 tons of garbage in this sector on a daily basis, a step which could become a health hazard and contaminate groundwater in the sector.

Earlier, the CDA had selected a landfill site in Sangjani, but people living in the site’s adjoining areas, including B-17, raised objections during a public hearing conducted by EPA.

They requested the agency to relocate the site to protect them from its hazardous impact.

Subsequently, the CDA gave up the idea of setting up the site in Sangjani and decided to establish a temporary landfill site in H-16.

The officials said the CDA will set up a permanent landfill site in Mandra in collaboration with the Rawalpindi Development Authority.

They said that daily over 600 tons of waste was generated in the capital which has no proper and permanent landfill site.

In 2004, on the recommendations of an international consultant, the CDA had selected Kuri for establishment of a landfill site. In 2012, the CDA board, however, dropped the idea.

Since then, the civic body has been shifting the site from one area to another and now it is going to shift it from sector I-12 to H-16.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2021