12 September 2006

Environmental violations in Murree

Development is a response to growing population and need for economic gains. However, a balance between development and conservation needs to be created. An example of such an imbalance in Pakistan is Murree. Despite legislation barring structures higher than 25 feet there are a number of multiple storey buildings in Murree.

Moreover, the proposed New Murree Development Project is a recipe for disaster. The proposed Project envisages the development of parts of Patriata Reserved Forests, Murree Tehsil and Rawalpindi Districts into a tourist city of international standards. The project area is part of the Himalayan hill tract that includes one of the best remaining Himalayan (temperate) forest areas in Punjab. After reports on the negative impact of the Project by environmental experts like Mountain and Glacier Protection Organisation (MGPO), ICUN and WWF the court took Suo Moto notice of the development. The Project executants, the Government of Punjab assured the court that environmental considerations will be fully accounted for. After an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) now an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is awaited. This is to be conducted by NESPAK that also happens to be the Project designer.

The development plan is inappropriate for a unique ecological area, as it would require heavy machinery during construction and cause serious degradation to the ecosystem when constructed. Even if environment-friendly developments are agreed upon for the Project, violations in the guise of exceptions, as in the case of Murree, can not be overlooked. In 2004 the Chief Minister relaxed a ban on new construction in the area as a ‘special case’. Also despite a supreme court ruling ordering demolition of a multi-storey building in Murree the building still stands.

WWF feels that the government should re-think the proposed New Murree Development Project and devise a more appropriate tourism initiative which conserves the unique natural and cultural heritage in Punjab and provides tourist facilities according to local traditions for the benefits of all levels of society. WWF fears that once the project is underway extra pressure in the form of violations will be unleashed on the ecology of the area.
For further information:
Amjad Aslam,
WWF – Pakistan,
Ferozepur Road, Lahore.
Tel: +92 42 5862360, 5869429,
Fax: 042 5862358,
e-mail: aaslam@wwf.org.pk