Brick kilns to close from November 1 across Punjab

PEPD official says only zigzag technology brick kilns will be allowed to operate

MULTAN: The Punjab government has issued a notification to close brick kilns from November 1 to December 20 ahead of the smog season.

Punjab Environmental Protection Department Assistant Director Environment Hameed Akhtar told APP on Thursday that as per the notification, old technology based brick kilns would not be allowed to operate during the mentioned period. Only zigzag technology brick kilns would be allowed to operate in the province.

He said that they would ensure implementation of the orders by the government to close brick kilns without any discrimination. Prearrangements to combat smog have been completed and inspection of all brick-kilns had already been made, he added.

The assistant director said that smog season would start from end of October and continue till January.

Deadline set for brick kilns to go high tech

“Three brick kilns have been shifted to zigzag technology in Multan, while one brick kiln was under construction,” he said. Akhtar added that they had imparted training on the latest technology to the workers who worked at brick kilns.

He said after lab analysis of brick kilns emissions, it was found that carbon content was higher than the admissible limit at all kilns. Such emissions cause smog, he said, adding that two teams have been formed to monitor brick kilns day and night during the smoggy weather.

He said that Section 144 has been imposed and there was a ban on burning crop residue, municipal solid waste, tyres, plastic, polythene bags, rubber, leather items and others during three months from October 1st to December 31 across the province. The environment department teams along with city traffic police were conducting raids against vehicles over noise and pollution, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2019.