News
Thursday, May 03, 2012
SC seeks replies in Kahoon Valley caseISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed respondents to submit their written replies within two weeks over alleged continuation of pollution in Kahoon Valley, situated in district Chakwal.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja adjourned hearing of a constitutional petition moved by Shehri-Citizens for Better Environment (SCBE) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The directives were issued to a total of 18 respondents in the case.
During the previous hearing, Afshan Ghazzanfar, the counsel for Shehri-Citizens for Better Environment (SCBE), had contended that it was purely a human rights issue involving general public interest. She requested the court to hear the case, saying a green bench had been constituted to deal with environmental issues. She said three different reports had established the fact that setting up of factories in Kahoon Valley was a violation of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act (PEPA).
In a petition, locals of the area had claimed that three cement factories and one paper factory had been set up in Kahoon Valley without obtaining an NOC under PEPA.
When violation of rules was established by inquiry teams, the issue was referred by then president Pervez Musharraf in 2001 to the Punjab environment secretary, who submitted a report favouring the violators, the locals had alleged in their petition. The petitioners said the relevant quarters took the matter before the environment tribunal which had imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on the violators.
The counsel said the activities in the valley were destroying its natural beauty as the whole vegetation in the area had been covered with dust and smoke. She said the only road meant for movement of general public had also developed cracks due to transportation of heavy stones and machinery. Diseases were also common due to hazardous pollution in the area, she added. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk