ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: Construction of the Rs300 million Supreme Court Bar Complex has begun in the city with the violation of a law, according to environment protection agencies.

Officials of the Ministry of Environment and Pak Environment Protection Agency (Pepa) talk of `a violation of the Environment Protection Act 1997` but won`t speak on record because of a gag order of the government.

Dawn has however seen official communications reminding the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) that Section 12 of the Act binds anyone undertaking a big project to submit an `environment impact assessment report` to Pepa before moving on to the construction stage. Pepa can call a public hearing if it thinks the project would have adverse impact on the environment.

A second communication followed when the contractor of the SCBA project established its camp office at the site, next to the ILO Office and Local Government Building in G-5/2, and began some ground work. The communication warned that a formal letter would be issued if the construction continued without fulfilling the requirements of Section 12.

An SCBA official however denied receiving the Pepa emails. `I am not aware of any such communications,` he told Dawn.

Officials of the environmental agencies may wring their hands at this attitude but the SCBA would not be the first to disregard the Environment Protection Act. The Capital Development Authority is alleged to have executed its over Rs5 billion Zero Point Interchange and 7th and 9th Avenue projects without much caring for that law.

But a Ministry of Environment official thinks `in this case, the bar association will have to submit an Initial Environment Examination Report or an Environment Impact Assessment Report depending on the size of its project`.

His loud thinking concerned more the impact of building the Supreme Court Bar Complex already visible than the expectation that lawyers would be more respectful to law.

Allegedly, the initial earthwork has realigned a stream at the site which has narrowed free flow of water in it.

`Once it is completed, the structure will sit right on top of the stream. The climate is becoming unpredictable and there is sufficient evidence that in the past unprecedented rains flooded streams and nullahs dangerously,` said the ministry official.

`We are against development that is not sustainable,` he added.

When completed in two years, the Complex will have space for holding conferences, seminars and workshops and rooms for lawyers coming from other cities to appear in the Supreme Court, who now have to stay in hotels.