ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change summoned on Thursday the officials of Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) to brief the committee in its next meeting regarding leasing out the land falling in the area of Margalla Hills to two elite food outlets in the federal capital.

Munaza Hassan from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) presided over the committee meeting which took stock of leasing out Margalla Hills' land to Monal Restaurant and Gloria Jean's. After discussion, the committee decided to summon the MCI and CDA officials to get a briefing on the issue. "There have been serious questions regarding leasing out Margalla Hills' land to Monal and Gloria Jean's. We need answers," the committee's chairperson said.

The committee expressed its strong reservations over what it termed were the serious flaws in Sindh's Solid Waste Management programme after the committee learnt from a Sindh's Solid Waste Management official that waste was mainly deposited near populated areas in most parts of Sindh. "This is such a serious issue. We needed a briefing from the department concerned that deals with this issue but no one from that department bothered to be here," the committee members said.

The committee also expressed annoyance over the absence of senior officials of Balochistan's Solid Waste Management programme. The officials of Punjab Irrigation Department briefed the committee that Rawal Dam was built in 1962 and had completed its life in 2012. However, only 35 per cent silt has been deposited in the dam and its life has been extended further for another 40 to 45 years, the committee was briefed.

The officials of Ministry of Climate Change briefed the committee about Billion Tree Tsunami programme and the committee appreciated the ministry's performance regarding this programme. The NA panel termed as unsatisfactory a briefing given by Ministry of Petroleum on the graduation and shifting of fuel specification Euro-V technology. The committee asked the ministry to brief the committee again in the next meeting.

The committee deferred discussion on The Pakistan Environment Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2019, moved by Amjad Ali Khan, till next meeting due to the absence of the mover. The committee unanimously confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting.

The committee members including Tahir Sadiq, Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Andleeb Abbas, Dr Seemi Bokhari, Aliya Hamza Malik, Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani, Tahira Aurangzeb, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Romina Khursheed Alam, Zulfiqar Bachani, Shahida Rehmani, Afreen Khan and senior government officials from departments concerned attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020