The department used only Rs 12.5mn out of Rs 40 million
\nJAVED KHAN
\nPESHAWAR
\nWith a week left until the end of the ongoing financial year, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environment Department has utilized only 31 percent of its Annual Development Program (ADP).
\nAccording to sources, the Environment Department has utilized upto Rs 12.5 million from the total Rs 40 million development program for the year 2021-22.
\nOnly Rs12.5 million, which is 31 percent of the department ADP budget, has been spent so far, said the sources quoting figures of the provincial finance department.
\nThere were severe financial constraints because of the delay in securing funds from the finance department. Most of the environment sector projects could not be completed on time and even some of the plans have been put on hold, said sources.
\nIt is important to note that the Environment department during the last two years did not launch any project in the merged districts.
\nSources said that due to unavailability of required funds, the department failed to establish Environment Protection Agency (EPA) offices in tribal districts.
\nHe said that it was the only ADP scheme of the department for the tribal region in the ongoing financial year. However, it would be initiated in the next financial year, he added.
\nAccording to documents, the provincial government in its outgoing financial year 2021-22 had allocated 40 million for the Environment department ADP schemes. At the end of the four quarters, it released Rs36.7 million.
\nAccording to budget documents, the KP government has proposed Rs 41191 million for the environment sector in the next financial year 2022-23.
\nThe government has proposed Rs 47 million for new schemes and Rs 41,144 million for ongoing projects.
\nAdditionally, the provincial government has also announced Rs 2 billion separately for combating the challenges of climate change in different sectors of the province.
\nDespite the fact that climate change has posed critical and significant challenges to KP\u2019s ecosystems, the environment department\u2019s inability to spend its developmental budget efficiently and effectively is adding to the gravity of the environmental degradation.
\nIt is to note here that KP, based on scientific evidence, has been identified as one of the most vulnerable and affected provinces of the country towards the negative impacts of climate change.
\nAccording to KP Climate Change Policy 2017 that due to environmental degradation, disasters such as floods, storm-water, glacier bursting, heat strokes, droughts, and other vector borne diseases are expected to become more common in the coming decades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The department used only Rs 12.5mn out of Rs 40 million JAVED KHAN PESHAWAR With a week left until the end of the ongoing financial year, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environment Department has utilized only 31 percent of its Annual Development Program (ADP). According to sources, the Environment Department has utilized upto Rs 12.5 million from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-267719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n