The district administration of the garrison city and the environment watchdog will start an operation to seal the brick kilns that have not switched to the environment-friendly zigzag technology so far.
Punjab government had turned down requests of brick kiln owners to extend the deadline for the installation of zigzag technology.
The traditional kilns are a major cause of smog. As per the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, they would be replaced with zizgzag brick kilns which emit white smoke, which is comparatively less harmful to environment.
The deadline to phase-out the kilns that spew black smoke expired on December 31, now, the government has directed the district administrations and Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to launch a crackdown from January 4.
The Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Anwarul Haq has formed teams of the EPD officials and assistant commissioners (ACs) to visit each kiln in the district for enforcing the new technology.
Following the strict directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, kiln owners across the Rawalpindi district have started installing new environmentally friendly zigzag technology brick kilns.
Setting an example, the office bearers of the Brick Kiln Owners Association have switched to the zigzag kiln technology, which reduces carbon emission and helps reduce pollution.
There are a total of 400 kilns in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. EPD Rawalpindi Deputy Director Amin Baig, when contacted by The Express Tribune said that so far 21 out of 400 kilns have installed new technology.
Owners of more than 30 kilns were busy in getting their kilns converted to the environment-friendly zigzag technology, Baig said.
Moreover, all stone crushing machines in Taxila and Margalla Hills have been ordered to switch to eco-friendly technology till December 31. No stone crushing machine will be allowed to operate in Rawalpindi district without it, the EPD deputy director said.
He reminded that the Lahore High Court (LHC) too has dismissed the petitions and intra-court appeals of the kiln owners against the orders for the installation of new technology.
In order to control smog, all kilns are closed from November 7 to December 31 across Punjab. After this ban, all kilns will fire up from January 1, albeit there would be no black smoke coming from the chimneys of brick kilns having zigzag technology. Brick Kiln Owners Association Secretary General Chaudhry Raheel said that zigzag technology is very expensive.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2021.
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