ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination on Wednesday expressed concern over alleged negligence of city managers that led to the death of son and his father on Tuesday after falling into an uncovered manhole in sector I-10.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, which met here at Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) headquarters with Nuzhat Pathan in the chair, discussed various issues related to CDA.

Apparently due to negligence of CDA, 50-year-old Arshad Satti lost his life in an unsuccessful bid to rescue his 14-year-old son Abdul Rehman- a nine grader.

One of the committee members Romina Khurshid Alam said an estimated 102 manholes in the city had no covers, causing big risk to citizens.

Though the CDA officials did not confirm the figure of 102 uncovered manholes, it said often addict and other criminal minded people stole the manhole covers.

CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal and Member Environment retired Capt Anwarul Haq told the committee that to avoid such theft cases in future, the CDA is going to place recycled plastic made covers instead of iron-concrete made.

Committee members expressed their displeasure over the incident and termed it CDA negligence.

However, CDA officials pleaded that the said manhole was covered and it had a small hole, from where a cricket ball fell into it and when a boy tried to bring it out, he fell unconscious and died because of impact of gases.

The committee was told that his father had gone into gutter in search of his son and he too lost his live.

On the other hand, the locals of the areas showed almost half-broken cover and stated that several time, they requested the sanitation directorate to fill this manhole, but the concerned official did not pay any heeds towards this serious issued that ultimately took to precious lives.

Meanwhile, residents of the said sector including politicians and traders staged a protest demonstration on Karnal Sher Khan road (formerly known as IJP) road against CDA and administration.

Earlier, the standing committee also discussed various other agenda items including filthy nullahs of Islamabad and insufficient arrangements made by housing schemes regarding disposal of sewage.

The committee noticed that many housing societies have no proper sewerage system.

The committee was told that a filthy nullah which crosses through the middle of F-9 Park is a source of foul smell, causing problem to the visitors.

The committee was told that the offices and buildings that are located in E-9 sector, directly discharge their sewage into this nullah.

Director General Environment Protection Agency (EPA) told the meeting that EPA had served notices to operators of the buildings of E-9 for polluting the nullah that crosses through F-9 Park and they are cooperating with EPA to resolve this issue. One of the committee members directed the DG EPA to hold talks with the both PAF and Navy [who have their buildings in E-9] to resolve this issue.

Meanwhile, heated debate took place over the issue of housing societies and their sewerage system, as both EPA and CDA alleged each others for insufficient arrangements made by housing societies.

The DG EPA Farzana Altaf Shah told the committee that CDA issues NOC to housing societies without getting any input from the environment body.

However, CDA chairman and member planning contested her stance and stated CDA never issued NOC to any housing scheme without first getting NOC of EPA.

Mr Mengal asked the DG EPA to withdraw NOC of all those housing societies, which are not complying with EPA’s guidelines and subsequently, the CDA will also withdraw its NOCs.

The committee was told that many housing societies have been causing severe damage to the sewerage system of Islamabad. The committee was told that that EPA has granted environmental approvals to 48 housing schemes within the jurisdiction of the Islamabad’s Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 2000. Currently, cases of nine housing scheme were undergoing the process for environmental approval consideration, while seven cases have been rejected and closed due to non-performance by the proponents.

The committee also recommended that for a good working relation, there should be at least one member from Ministry of Climate Change or EPA should be the part of CDA board.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023