PESHAWAR: To cope with pollution issues in tourist areas, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to temporary ban construction and tighten implementation of laws in tourist distination.
On the directions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to tighten the implementation of laws, rules and regulations to promote sustainable tourism and ensure environmental protection in the province.
This decision was taken in a review meeting of development authorities established for various tourist areas under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by senior officers of the tourism department and development authorities. The meeting reviewed in detail the master plans, land use plans, building control codes and the performance of the authorities for tourist places.
The authorities under review included Galiyat Development Authority, Kaghan Development Authority, Kailash Development Authority, Kumrat Development Authority and Upper Swat Development Authority. The meeting reviewed the violations of rules and regulations related to sewage and drainage of hotels and restaurants in tourist areas and their impact on the environment. The Chief Secretary directed that strict action be taken against those violating the rules and regulations and that environmental laws should not be compromised in any way.
To prevent illegal and haphazard construction, the Chief Secretary also ordered a temporary ban on issuing NOCs for the construction of buildings in some areas of Swat, Galiyat and Kumrat. Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah stressed the importance of the strict implementation of laws related to environmental quality in tourist areas and said that the preparation of master plans for sustainable development and environmental protection in tourist areas is indispensable so that reckless construction can be avoided.
The meeting decided to complete master plans and land use plans for tourist destinations on a priority basis, improve the monitoring system and further strengthen the capabilities of development authorities. The Urban Policy and Planning Unit was entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring master planning and land use planning according to modern requirements.
It should be noted that the Kailash Development Authority has completed its master plan, while the Galiyat Development Authority is going to organise a stakeholders’ conference to implement sanitation and drainage regulations. The Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directed that all stakeholders associated with the tourism sector should be taken into confidence and informed that government measures will promote business and investment in tourist destinations, which will benefit the local population.
The government wants to promote business and investment by ensuring environmental protection at tourist destinations. The Chief Secretary also reviewed the financial performance of the development authorities and emphasised that the promotion of tourism should bring economic benefits to the local population. He directed to hold review meetings be held every month to assess the performance of the authorities.
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