Deteriorating environmental standards: Islamabad mayor summoned by Senate panel

The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Monday took stock of the deteriorating environmental standards, especially littering, in the federal capital and summoned mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz in the next meeting. The committee met in the chair of Sitara Ayaz from Awami National Party (ANP).
A senator, who requested not to be named, told Business Recorder that several lawmakers, both from the government and the opposition, are seriously concerned over the role of mayor Islamabad regarding different civic issues related to the civic management of Islamabad. "There is a strong feeling that ever since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government came into power, the mayor of Islamabad, who belongs to PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz) and is believed to be a close confidante of Nawaz Sharif, is proving problematic for the present government," the source said.
It merits a mention here that the role of mayor Islamabad came under question when the federal capital was hit by worst water shortage in September last year, hardly a few days after the PTI government came into power in August last year. Several sectors of Islamabad, including I-8, I-9 and adjoining areas have been facing serious water shortage since September 2018 despite the fact that these areas never faced water shortage before.
The mayor heads Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) which supervises the working of Water Supply, Environment, Sanitation and a host of other directorates related to civic management in Islamabad. Recently, the MCI raised eyebrows by increasing the annual residential property tax fee in Islamabad by 200 per cent that was payable by September 30.
In the backdrop of serious rift between the mayor and the federal government, the latter is reluctant to release funds to the MCI and the residents of Islamabad are bearing the brunt due to lack of civic facilities, the source said.
"Presently, the situation is far from even satisfactory in Islamabad that was once an ideal place to live in. There is heaps of garbage at every nook and corner of the city, rising crime rate is extremely alarming and there is issue of water shortage. People are questioning if things are like this in the federal capital, what it would be like in other cities. The government and mayor both have to wake up to address the issues of civic management in Islamabad," Business Recorder was told.
In Monday's meeting, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change observed that the mayor must appear before the committee in the next meeting to explain the reasons for non-payment of salaries to staff of the Sanitation Directorate. The committee also recommended devising a comprehensive and effective anti-littering policy and recommended imposition of fines on people found involved in littering.
Moreover, the senior officials of Ministry of Climate Change led by Malik Amin Aslam, the Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change, briefed the committee that the work on the establishment of Climate Change Authority is in final stages and it would come into effect soon, which would create 72 new vacancies for recruitment.
Currently, the Ministry of Climate Change is processing the draft service rules for Pakistan Climate Change Authority in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, Law Division and Establishment Division. Once these service rules are approved and vetted from the relevant ministries/divisions, the same will be notified, the committee was briefed.
The committee was also briefed by the ministry on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)-II project. The panel was informed that there are over 7,000 glaciers in the country, mostly in the northern parts of the country, which feed rivers that account for 75 percent of stored water supply in the country. The committee was further informed that the objectives of GLOF-II are to empower communities to identify and manage risks associated with GLOF and other related impacts of climate change, and strengthen public services systems to lower risk of disasters.
The committee stressed on the rehabilitation of victims of GLOF-related disasters and recommended compensation for the affected families. On the proposed launch of Zero Carbon Metro Service in Karachi, the committee was informed that the project will use methane gas which would be produced by 'cow dung' obtained from cattle market in the city. The $40 million project is the first of its kind in the world, the Climate Change Ministry claimed before the Senate panel.