About 90 per cent of solid waste mostly generated by the hotels were being thrown into river Swat. Environment Protection Agency Govt of NWFP has issued hearing notice to all violators under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997. Hearing would be held in the office of Director General Environmental Protection Agency Peshawar Cantt on 14th November and Environmental Protection Order will be issued after the hearing.
The case of those who are not complying with Environmental Protection Order would be submitted to Environmental Tribunal for penalties.
About 225 hotels are located in Kalam, out of which 45 hotels existed on the edge of river. The survey shows aesthetic value of river Swat was decreasing rapidly.
Only 24 of the 45 hotels right on the river bank, are having treatment facilities like septic tanks etc and 21 hotels operating without any proper arrangement for safe disposal of their effluent. Effluents generated by hotels (without treatment facilities) discharged directly into River Swat are degrading the river environment tremendously.
Upon sites' inspection, it was also observed there was no solid waste management system in the area for disposal of domestic as well as commercial waste.
Collection and disposal of solid waste is the responsibility of owners of the hotels and houses/shops in all these locations. Due to lacking of proper collection and disposal, most of the solid waste generated directly goes to the River Swat for its disposal, which is a great threat to the water.
It is quite easy for the hotel management to throw their solid into the flowing water of the river.