Naseebullah Khan
At a juncture when the province is in grip of poverty, unemployment, inflation, climate change, and economic fragility ___the environmental hazards are playing havoc with the lives of the people. The air, noise, and water pollution have been important factors of mushroom growth of diseases among the people of the province during the feeble health sector. The provincial government has been speedy in passing rules and acts while slow in implementation. Balochistan environmental protection agency started functioning under Pakistan environmental act 1997. Since that, the provincial governments have enacted dozens of acts such as Balochistan environmental protection (Motor vehicle) rules 2020, Balochistan environmental quality standard for treatment of liquid and disposal of Biochemical waste by incineration autoclaving, microwaving, and deep burial rules 2020, Balochistan hazardous substance rule 2020, Balochistan environmental protection (Poultry) rules 2020, and the most important was the Balochistan environment protection act 2012. These rules and acts are good reflections of international standards concerning environmental issues__piteously, these are limited to papers work only. If these are implemented with true spirit, the environmental issues can be dealt with effectively. Water is contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals, and pesticides, which further becomes a huge cause of different diseases like Allergy, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, gastroenteritis, cryptosporidium infection, giardiasis, and intestine worms__that are prevalent in Balochistan in a huge number. Estimated, there are 7 to 8 hundred metric tons of trash is picked up in Quetta__ which is thrown in the suburbs of the city without recycling. Lack of dumping sites, dearth of Solid waste management and bad governance in hospital waste have been serious issues of soil pollution throughout the province__whereas the situation of the other cities can be guesstimated when the posture in the capital city reflects murky. The air quality index in the province with special reference to Quetta is at a risky level. In 2010, the IUCN (international union for conservation of nature) had warned that the air quality index in Quetta has reached a dangerous level. In Quetta, as per the data of the Balochistan environmental protection agency, there are 30 Crushing Plants, which have been a huge factor in air pollution in the city. Moreover, hundreds of Brick kilns have been operating in the province, which has been polluting the air with a rocket speed. According to the Excise and taxation department Balochistan, there were 99320 vehicles in Quetta in 2004, which has reached 496646 in 2018. This gigantic increase has damaged the environment twofold vis a vis air pollution and noise pollution. According to the science publishing group, noise pollution in Quetta has reached 93 dBA which has already crossed the standard limit of the WHO level which is 65 percent at daytime.Forestation has been a good weapon against environmental perils. According to the FAO, only 1.7 percent area of the province is covered with forests which is short of international standards. Whilst, on the other side, the deforestation in the province is at its peak without any governmental check. Thousands of trees have been cut off in Ziarat, Zhob, Khuzdar, and other areas of the province due to many reasons.The protection of the ecosystem along with biodiversity needs urgent attention. A comprehensive governance system on the menace of traffic horns, robust urban planning, the construction of Zigzag Bricks kilns, which can reduce carbon emission from 70 to 90 percent, safeguarding forests, initiating awareness campaign with special reference to tree plantation? and armoring environmental degradation can help in improving environmental hazards in the province. For this, it is a must that, the rules and acts which have been adopted by the provincial governments are implemented through a vigorous governing system. At a time when climate change is knocking at every door of the province, where the scarcity of water is affecting the ecosystem of the province at an alarming level, where the agriculture and livestock sectors of the province_which are the jugular vein of almost two-third population, have been striking by the monster of climate change___the environmental hazards will further dent the lives of the dwellers of the province. The time now and never has approached for the authorities to take pragmatic steps in curbing the issues related to environmental problems, which are still in the hands of the authorities. Importantly, the political leaders should feel the severity of the crises and should sit together for a consensus-based approach towards the environmental pollution in the province. In this regard, the resolution of the member of provincial assembly Mr. Nasurullah Khan Zairay can be a turning point for the unity of the political leaders__which he presented in the provincial assembly concerning the cultivation of vegetables in Quetta city through hazardous water of sanitation in the area of Spini road, Smungli roads, and the vicinity of the city. Although the bill was unanimously accepted by the assembly, which should have been implemented with true spirit. Regrettably, all in vain, as the provincial and district administrations have been failed in the implementation of the resolution, which is just one example of bad governance concerning environmental rules and acts.
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