Islamabad: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has decided to place a ban on activities that can cause forest fire and harm to the natural environment of Margalla Hills, according to news sources.
The administration has restricted activities like smoking, setting garbage on fire, and doing barbecue etc. In addition to that carrying flammable items such as lighters, bottles of petrol and a matchstick to the hills has also been restricted.
As per the notification issued by the district government, the violators may face jail time for a month or a fine.
The campfire issue in Margalla Hills was brought up by United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner Dr. Christian Turner on May 7 via his official Twitter account when he shared a picture carrying two bags of garbage. The picture went viral leading to initiation of a cleaning campaign. Soon afterwards, the ICT and The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) teams started a cleanliness drive tittled “My Waste, My Responsibility”.
While the notification of the ban was issued in April but was not implemented until this week. In order to strictly implement the restrictions, a zero-tolerance policy is also being adopted for those who damage the habitat of Margalla Hills, stated Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat. To implement the environmental laws, IWMB will work in collaboration with the capital police.
The British head of the mission appreciated the quick response of the administration to ban all hazardous practices inside Margalla Hills National Park. To speed up the process of cleanliness drive, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Indonesia, France, The Netherlands, and other missions have also volunteered.
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