I have had an opportunity to celebrate World Environment Day in
Islamabad along with government high-ups and other experts of the
field. Majority of the participants presented their speeches in
English Language while their connection with the soil which is
building block of environment was extremely bleak. Like other
gathering this one was also routine discussion session and there is no
will on the part of each participant to practically do some work for
protecting environment. Like federal capital, in other parts of the
country such gathering also held to celebrate world environment day
with the sole aim of “Nishastam Guftam Barkhastam”. My humble message
in this day of environment is one “We must act instead of rhetoric”.
In case of paper work we are number one, while in case of implementing
the discussed views we are at the lowest of the bottom. Just take
example of Islamabad which I visited after the session and found very
precarious situation that each household possess 3 to four generators
for electricity generation and this luxury on the part of people
creating serious environment pollution in the whole area and consumers
are totally oblivious of the situation. If these people are
environmentally sensitive they can replace electric generator with
solar system which is not so much hazardous for environment as well as
economically viable. Secondly I also realized there is no space
available for drainage of water in the whole capital and space left
for such purpose has been fully dumped by the nearby people with
garbage and if there is heavy rain it will create havoc. These are two
examples which reflect how ignorant we are in case of environment
while having formal education up to master and Ph.D level. Why we are
doing these things, because we are not sensitive about environment.
Until and unless we are sensitized about environment and until we take
practical steps from household to community and government level there
will come no improvement in environmental issues. Let us stop speeches
and start practical work and let us become sensitive about our
environmental issues which are very close around us and we
continuously ignore them because of our own ignorance... Rehmat Ali Jaffardost, Environmental Activist, CHEPS Chitral 06 Jun 2017