Restrain the CDMD from destroying the environment of Peshawar

Hayatabad Township is ironically known as the clean, green and posh town of the province but it is being turned into one of the dirtiest area and that too at the hands of the gardeners of the ‘garden’, the CD&MD.

There is a post of Director Horticulture in CD&MD responsible for the planning, planting and maintenance of all plants, trees and parks but unfortunately this post has long been kept vacant and now entrusted to the mercy of an un-qualified person who doesn’t know even a shred of the subject.

In wake of the deteriorating condition of the greenery in Hayatabad its Union Council unanimously resolved to privatize the Horticulture Wing of the town but neither the CD&MD appointed qualified specialist nor the resolution of the Union Council was agreed to, rather the greenery of the town was butchered further.

A huge amount of taxpayers’ money has been invested on the planting, raising, nursing, nurturing and maintenance of the trees and the green hedge along the roads and on the median of the double roads of Hayatabad Township.

Not only money but also TIME was invested on the development of these trees and hedges over a span of about three decades.

The CD&MD has started un-necessary and indiscriminate uprooting of these trees and hedges without assigning any reason or prior notice to the residents of the Town or the general public being the stakeholders.

They have up-rooted he live green hedge from the median of the main roads and they are in the process of replacing the hedge with a seasonal and deciduous grass intermingled with beds of seasonal flowers, which will thus give a deserted look in autumn, winter and even summer when these will dry off.

Not only this but they have also planted the costly palms, which were tried a few years back by CDA in Islamabad that miserably failed. The fate of these in Peshawar will not be less than those in Islamabad, because these costly palms are susceptible to frost, which is common in Peshawar.

The previous plantation had attained sustainability, required less water in a water-deficient town and no recurrent expenditure was needed therefor, whereas an army of malis, labour and heavy expenditure will be required for the new unsuitable and unsustainable plantation.

The contiguous hedge protects the eye sight of drivers’ and road users from the dazzling light beams of the oncoming vehicles at night and un-necessary distraction at day time thus helping in diminishing chances and risk of accidents.

They did not fulfill the legal requirement of conducting of IEE (Initial Environmental Examination) or EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) under the Pak Environmental Protection Act 1997 before dismantling the old established plantation.

The authorities are, therefore, requested to direct the CD&MD to restrain from further destroying the environment of Peshawar, especially Hayatabad by not cutting down the green hedge and trees on and along the median of the roads and replacing it with un-suitable species like grass or seasonal flowers or other plants, reclaim and compensate for the damage already caused to and inflicted on the environment, restore and rehabilitate the destroyed evergreen live hedge and trees on and along the roads and median of Hayatabad and any other order deemed just in the circumstances of the case may also be passed.