Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) directed the ICT to demolish 17 stone crushers in their vicinity. The ICT, among the presence of heavy security followed EPA instructions on Friday.
PAK-EPA with the assistance of the ICT Administration, the police, the CDA Enforcement Wing and Environment Wing, the Department of Mines and Minerals and the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) demolished 17 stone crushers under an Environmental Protection Order under section 16 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Director Asadullah Faiz and Assistant Commissioner (Saddar) Captain Fareed supervised the operation. The operation was completed peacefully and all the machines were demolished, ensuring no further operation.
“They launched the operation at 5a.m and arrested three suspected people in order to maintain the law and order situation”, Fareed said.
A monitoring study of the area, conducted by the EPA revealed that there were 20,000 ug/m3 of suspended matter in the air, where the national environmental quality standards of Pakistan have recommended 500ug/m3.
Consequently, the EPA took serious notice of the situation and it was considered essential to stop this environmentally hazardous activity immediately.
Therefore several meetings of all the stakeholders including District Administration, local Police, CDA and IESCO were consulted, and a joint operation for immediate closure of stone crushers was planned.
