Smog disappears — but industrial units still closed

LCCI asks Punjab govt to reopen factories, control unemployment

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has demanded that the Punjab government immediately reopen all those industrial units that were closed on the “baseless” grounds of smog.

Industrial closure in the wake of smog had increased the ranks of unemployed in the province as thousands of workers were working in these units, it said.



“Closure of industries is sheer injustice as it is targeted to hide incompetency of the government departments concerned,” said LCCI Acting President Zeshan Khalil in a statement on Wednesday.

Khalil said the LCCI had repeatedly made it clear that industries were not responsible for smog, adding various factors were playing a role and the major one was delay in rains which was a natural process and industries had nothing to do with it.

He pointed out that deforestation, smoke emitted by millions of vehicles and stubble burning were playing havoc with the environment, but instead of controlling these factors, the environment department had shifted the blame on to industries.

The LCCI acting president noted that industrial closure was causing a huge damage to the businesses which were already working in difficult conditions. Apart from this, thousands of daily-wage workers are struggling to make both ends meet while the government is losing revenue.

“Although the smog has almost disappeared after rains in the province, the issue cannot be resolved until and unless true reasons are found and tackled,” he remarked.

Khalil offered the Lahore Chamber’s assistance, saying it was ready to play its role by holding seminars and workshops in order to create awareness amongst the masses.



He asked Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take notice of the issue and direct the environment department to immediately reopen the closed industrial units as their closure and large-scale unemployment was against the provincial government’s vision.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2017.

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