The construction of a cricket stadium in the capital, Islamabad, under a joint project of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is under consideration in D-12 at the foot of Margallah hills, Islamabad.
In this regard, it is being discussed whether the CDA has conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Environmental Protection Agency before the start of this project or not, and whether this project is in the buffer zone of the Margalla National Park?
According to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, the CDA has not conducted an EIA from the Environmental Protection Agency before the construction of the stadium. However, a CDA spokesperson told that the feasibility study of this project is still underway, after which a mandatory EIA will be conducted.
The agency’s director and spokesperson, Dr. Zeigham Abbas told the media that “we have not been formally approached by the CDA in this regard yet, but we may be contacted again when the practical work on the project starts”.
On the other hand, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board has also written a letter to the CDA seeking a layout plan for this proposed project. Islamabad Wildlife Management Board Chairperson Ayesha Umairah says that, according to the information provided to her so far, the stadium to be built near Sector D-12 of Islamabad does not fall within the buffer zone of the Margalla National Park.
The buffer zone of the Margalla National Park of Islamabad actually refers to a protective strip around the Margalla National Park. This area is not a formal part of the national park, but it is kept so that the park can be protected from construction, noise, pollution, and human pressure, and an area of at least 100 meters is considered a buffer zone.
Now, if we talk about the stadium to be built near Sector D-12 of Islamabad, it will be built at the foot of the Margalla Hills of Islamabad.
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