Punjab govt beefs up anti-smog operation

Transport sector is the top contributor to air pollution in the province

LAHORE: Punjab government on Thursday instructed all the departments to pace up anti-smog drive in the province to reverse the environmental emergency.

Minister for Environment Protection Bao Muhammad Rizwan chaired a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on smog for the implementation of anti-smog measures conducted at the civil secretariat.

Environment Protection Department Secretary Saima Saeed shared the emission report prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The report states that the major portion of air pollution is emitted by the transport sector, followed by the industrial and agriculture sector.

Smog soars to alarming level in Lahore

Strategy and action plan for controlling vehicular pollution, inhibiting fuel adulteration, monitoring air pollution from stone crushing and cement mining plants, and measures to stop the use of substandard fuels was discussed.

Another report on stone crushers in Sargodha, Rawalpindi, DG Khan and Mianwali was presented to the minister. Environmental Protection Orders (EPOs) had been issued to all stone crushers of DG Khan, while cases of almost all crushers of Rawalpindi have been decided upon by the Punjab Environmental Tribunal (PET). The EPD secretary told the minister that water sprinkling systems have been installed in all stone crushers of Mianwali.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representative informed the committee about a summary for approval of the conversion of old technology brick kilns to zigzag technology (ZZT) by December 31 next year. As many as 516 kilns shifted to the new technology while the 2,394 EPOs have been issued to defaulters.

Kilns of Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Nankana Sahib would be shifted to ZZT by March 31, 2020. The remaining 13 districts of the red zone would be converted by June 2020 and no kilns would be allowed to operate after December 2020.

The environmental squad, consisting of the members of the traffic police department and industry representatives, briefed the smog committee that industries are being inspected, reservation regarding fuel standards are being discussed with the federal government and the issue has also been taken up to the senate functional committee on human rights.

Lahore’s hazardous smog hits national highways

The transport department officials informed the committee members that vehicles are being checked with the help of Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (VICS) whereas discussions are underway with the World Bank to collaborate for private vehicles inspection.

Representatives of finance, industry, transport, agriculture, forestry, environment, local government department, specialized healthcare and medical education and primary & secondary health departments were present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2019.