EPA seals 61 brick kilns defying closure orders
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday sealed 61 brick kilns in Rawalpindi that were operating despite a ban imposed to control smog.
The owners of these brick kilns were running their production at night to dodge the authorities. EPA Director General Dr Khurram Shahzad has directed the agency’s officers in all divisions of Punjab to ensure strict implementation of the decision to close the kilns by December 31.
EPA has also appointed third party teams to check if the kilns were following close down orders.
According to Shahzad, strict action will be taken against the EPA officers if any kiln was found open in the district under their watch.
He said that in areas where jurisdiction was not clear, EPA Rawalpindi and EPA Islamabad formed joint teams to conduct surveys of brick kilns. These joint teams have sealed four kilns at the confluence of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The EPA DG has also started daily online update meetings on kilns. EPA Rawalpindi Deputy Director Muhammad Amin Baig said: “we have started crackdown on brick kilns across the district with day and night teams. We are now checking the kilns in 24 hour shifts.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2020.