Legal action needs to be taken against those violating environmental and forest laws and FIRs may be lodged under Section 144 against them because nothing is more important than the health of citizens, provincial Environment Minister Sheikh Muhammad Afzal said on Wednesday. He was presiding over a meeting at the Environment Protection Agency Complex in Korangi. “Environmental issues should be seriously taken and a mechanism and feasibility be constructed to build garbage transfer stations in order to effectively dispose of the garbage of the city,” he said. “Only 12,000 tonnes of garbage are usually estimated in the city while the current infrastructure still needs to be made better in order to efficiently dispose of waste,” he added. “Dumping of garbage in different areas is a matter of concern as it spreads different kinds of diseases.”
Touching upon the issue of shortage of funds, he said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the desired targets for want of funds. However, he encouraged the officers concerned to work honestly to redress environmental issues and directed them to plant trees which are eco-friendly and reduce the grievances of the people. Addressing the participants of the meeting, he said that a mechanism should be furnished for planned and unplanned population and through hard work, garbage can be utilised for different positive purposes such as generation of electricity.
He said that areas with dense population including katchi abadis are most affected by inefficient methods of garbage disposal, and it is the need of hour to create awareness among masses regarding environmental pollution and people should be instructed to throw their garbage at designated dump sites.
Sheikh said his department is striving hard to resolve environmental issues but the cooperation of other departments is very vital in this context. He also directed other departments to avoid dumping solid waste on the seashore as this practice has affected marine life.
