Water, energy conservation stressed in housing projects

[LRE]

* Pak-EPA DG says energy-efficient buildings should be constructed
* Al-Hamra Avenue Housing Scheme consultant says project includes recycling of sewage

By Atif Khan

ISLAMABAD: The developers of upcoming development projects should ensure water and energy conservation measures so that these projects may not burden already strained water and energy supplies, said Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General Asif Shuja Khan on Saturday.

Khan was talking to Daily Times after participating in a public hearing on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Al-Hamra Avenue Housing Scheme. The hearing was held to get the views of public, academia and environmental organisations on environmental concerns.

The public hearing was held in compliance with Section 12 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 and IEE/EIA Regulations 2000.

Khan said conservation techniques including solid waste recycling and wastewater treatment should be adopted to minimise the use of water. He said per capita water supply in the capital was declining at an alarming rate. The immediate solution to the problem is construction of inverted wells and new dams, he added.

He said energy efficient buildings should be constructed while observing strict building codes to ensure energy conservation. He said energy transmission losses should be minimised and building insulation and maximum urban plantation should be done to conserve energy. He said the development projects should be environment friendly.

Presentation: Earlier, the housing scheme project consultant gave a detailed presentation on the project including the existing environmental conditions, analysis of the environmental impact and measures to be implemented during the execution of the proposed project to mitigate the environmental losses.

He said the project included recycling of sewage to maintain green areas, which was 23 percent of the total project area. He said flora and fauna of the area would be protected and local plants’ species would be promoted. The project will have its own sewage treatment plant and solid waste management system, he said, adding, the usage of underground water would be closely monitored and use of rainwater for irrigation would be ensured.

Khan in his opening remarks gave a brief introduction to the legal requirements related to the environmental assessment of development projects and highlighted the significance of the public hearing. He said there was a need of some additions to the current EIA system like consideration of alternative sites and using EIA as a tool for decision-making.

The participants of the meeting took an active part and raised various questions related to water consumption, water and energy conservation, handling of solid waste, traffic management, rain water harvesting and seismic viability.

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