A public hearing was recently held to discuss the proposed establishment of Imarat Downtown (Imarat Business District – IBD) in Zone V, Islamabad. Supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the session provided a platform for stakeholders to raise concerns related to environmental, safety, and sustainability issues associated with the large-scale development project.
During the hearing, project representatives addressed various questions on water and waste management, biodiversity preservation, noise control, and the implementation of robust Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) measures. They assured attendees that air quality would be protected by maintaining machinery, deploying sprinklers, and scheduling water spraying to reduce dust pollution at construction sites. Participants also recommended further steps such as installing dust barriers and covering construction materials where possible to minimize environmental impact.
The project team clarified that no groundwater would be extracted, committing instead to supply water through tanker services. Additionally, all wastewater generated will be processed at a dedicated 5-kanal Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in partnership with Capital Enclave Society.
As part of its sustainability strategy, the developers announced plans to create Islamabad’s largest man-made urban forest. With 300,000 trees already planted, the forest is expected to absorb a significant portion of the project’s estimated 68,716.99 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next six years. Thanks to improved material efficiency and the planned forest, the project aims to cut total carbon emissions by more than half.
All feedback, suggestions, and project commitments from the hearing have been officially recorded and will be considered by the relevant authority as part of the approval process. Both the EPA and the project team thanked the public for their input and reaffirmed their commitment to environmentally responsible development practices.
