KARACHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Hindu Gymkhana president to submit recommendations to overcome growing environmental pollution in the country.
“You give us some practical recommendations and we would ensure that they are implemented,” CJP Nisar told Vino Advani.
The bench was hearing a public interest application at the Supreme Court Karachi registry and the main grievance agitated in the plea was that unloading of coal ships and their storage at the Karachi Port Trust was causing coal dust, which was adding to the pollution of an already polluted city and becoming a health hazard for Karachiites.
To the chief justice’s query regarding status of the court’s earlier directive regarding cleaning up of coal at KPT, the gymkhana president replied that the process to clean the area of coal was still under way.
The Supreme Court had directed all ships carrying imported coal not to unload at KPT and instead use Port Qasim at the same rate.
The bench in its order also directed the authorities concerned that open coal will not be stored anywhere in Karachi and can only be kept in warehouses.
The court further ruled that in case of transportation, proper blankets and moisture must be provided to the coal so that the dust does not cause pollution.
The chief justice observed that the court has limited powers and carrying out the needed legislation on the matter was beyond the scope of the courts.
Justice Nisar said the Supreme Court is going to organise a seminar on environmental pollution in Islamabad where experts from all over the country would be invited.
“There is a plan to form a 20-member committee which would devise ways for effectively monitoring environmental pollution and how to control it.”
