PHC directs for SOPs for WSSP dumping site

PESHAWAR: After hearing arguments from the parties, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday disposed of a petition against the dumping site established near a residential area on Warsak Road by the Water and Sanitation Services, Peshawar, (WSSP).

A division bench of PHC comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Shakil Ahmad heard the petition filed by Rabnawaz Khan advocate.Commissioner, Peshawar, Riaz Mehsud appeared for the WSSP as acting chief executive of the company.

The petitioner informed the court that WSSP was dumping thousands of tonnes of garbage at the site established near a housing society due to which the local residents were facing severe environmental and health problems.

He said that the WSSP had already purchased land for the garbage dumping site in Urmar and that the company should be directed to stop throwing waste near the housing society on Warsak Road.

He pleaded that earlier the company was throwing garbage somewhere else but the people of that area staged a protest and even resorted to taking up weapons, forcing the authorities to change the dumping site there.

The petitioner said that the company then established a dumping site near the housing society on Warsak Road.Upon this, Justice Shakil Ahmad said that taking up arms was not a solution to the issues and that a viable solution should be found to facilitate the local populace.

He said that hundreds of housing societies were being established in violation of rules and without non-objection certificates but the authorities concerned did not budge to check the ground realities.

Riaz Mehsud told the bench that it was a temporary dumping site established by the WSSP for collecting garbage and domestic refuse, which was then taken to the permanent dumping site.He said that saplings were planted at different dumping sites as per the PHC, Abbottabad Circuit Bench, verdict and it would be beneficial if the same SOPs were implemented here.

However, he said that they would follow the court standard operating procedures (SOPs) in letter and spirit to allay the difficulties of the nearby residents.The bench said that SOPs would be prepared, which would be later sent to the relevant authorities. It also directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to devise a line of action, check the SOPs and visit the dumping site as well.