LHC Bars CDA From Acquiring 1200 Kanal Land for Waste Disposal

ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi bench judge of Lahore High Court (LHC), Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf, has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to stop acquiring 1,200-kanal of land on Chak Belli Road at Losar, a suburb of Rawalpindi, for waste disposal from Islamabad.

The court’s directives were issued in response to multiple petitions challenging the notification issued by the Rawalpindi administration that allowed the CDA to acquire the land for waste dumping.

However, two weeks ago, the Rawalpindi administration allocated 1,200-kanal of land to the CDA in Mauza Losar for dumping waste from Islamabad, in violation of a court order. 

Moreover, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema had given formal permission to the CDA to dump all garbage and hospital waste at the Losar site.

The high court has accepted six petitions filed in this regard and issued notices to the CDA chairman, the Islamabad chief commissioner, the Rawalpindi commissioner and deputy commissioner, and the Punjab government, seeking their replies on April 10.

Furthermore, the court has summoned the head of the Rawalpindi Solid Waste Management Company for the next hearing. The petitions were filed by three brick kiln owners and four residents of the neighbourhood.

The Lahore High Court’s decision is a significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the acquisition of land for waste disposal and underscores the need to address environmental concerns in a responsible and sustainable manner.

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