Long arm of the law…not that long!

• Enforcement wing fails to take action against influential encroachers

Capital Development Authority (CDA) environment directorate has requested the Enforcement Wing to take action against 43 influential encroachers, badly marring the beauty of the city.

However, the enforcement wing of the civic body is reluctant to take any action against the influential encroachers. According to some statements, enforcement wing is involved in taking heavy bribes, a charge denied by the officers concerned.

The Environment Directorate sent a list of 43 encroachers to the Enforcement Wing but instead of taking action it has adopted delaying tactics. It is pertinent to mention that the directorate has sent these reports to the concerned wing several times to take legal action against the encroachers but the department’s negligence has given rise to many questions.

According to details 27 out of 43 encroachments pointed out by the Environment Directorate are present at the newly developed area of Saidpur including Siri Saral, Kalijar, Malpur and Kurri. The directorate has declared these places dangerous for building residential homes and erecting commercial structures due to excessive and unlawful cutting of the surrounding forest.

A joint demarcation was carried out in the presence of CDA Environment Land and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration staff. The directorate disagreed with the report prepared by ICT and submitted a separate report. The ICT staff failed to follow up on the report resulting in encroachment of the forest land.

The directorate called for need of laws for the protection of environment and natural habitat. It said that there is not implementation of the existing laws by the government and the forests in the federal capital are being cut mercilessly which needs to be halted. “These moves ought to be replicated wherever industry, urbanisation or development is taking place at the cost of the environment,” said the directorate.

It highlighted the deforestation of large swathes of land at the hands of mafias and vested interest of parties. Inaction of the administrative staff has led to arable land being affected and environmental degradation.

The directorate also called for the implementation of The National Forest Policy (DRAFT) which aims at restoration, development, conservation and sustainable management of forests and allied natural resources to ensure sustainability of ecosystem functions, services and benefits for the future generations.