‘At least clean areas outside your property’

K-P Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan addressed a sanitation festival held at the Nishtar Hall on Wednesday

PESHAWAR: As a smog and massive construction in the city chokes residents, a senior government minister has suggested that they are working on a new law which would add greater responsibility on citizens to keep the environment clean.

“There is a need to introduce a new law to make the people keep their premises clean,” said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan while addressing a sanitation festival held at the Nishtar Hall on Wednesday.

“We have to change the public’s behaviour which creates 50 per cent of issues relating to proper sanitation and clean environment.”

There is no doubt, he added, that there were issues in government departments, but stressed on a behavioural change for the public.

The minister said that while a number of laws exist, they have not been properly implemented to compel the people to keep at least the area outside their own properties clean.  “Everyone will have to keep clean area outside their shops or houses and must avoid the use of plastic bags,” Inayat said. He furthered added that the provincial government has already slapped a ban on the manufacture and use of plastic bags in K-P, however.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2017.