Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

EPA inspects 187 factories

Two penalties amounting to Rs50,000 imposed as well

APP May 15, 2022

this photograph shows pakistani residents walking near a factory on the outskirts of the northwestern city of peshawar pakistan 039 s cities are gasping for clean air amid dire warnings from the world bank but officials say they are helpless to combat the looming calamity due to a lack of basic data the fast growing country is home to some 200 million people and suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world thanks to its giant population plying poorly maintained vehicles on the roads and unchecked industrial emissions photo afp

This photograph shows Pakistani residents walking near a factory on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar. Pakistan's cities are gasping for clean air amid dire warnings from the World Bank, but officials say they are helpless to combat the looming calamity due to a lack of basic data. The fast-growing country is home to some 200 million people and suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world, thanks to its giant population plying poorly maintained vehicles on the roads and unchecked industrial emissions. PHOTO: AFP

PESHAWAR:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspected 187 factories and units last week to check their operational compliance according to Environmental Protection Order (EPO).

A progress report issued on Saturday stated that a total of 41 environmental protection orders were issued and 24 public complaints were resolved during the same period.

As many as 33 cases pertaining to Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT) were held among which 19 were decided. One among the six cases that were in Peshawar High Court (PHC) was decided and two mining sites in Gumawan, district Abbottabad and Bajna, district Mansehra were inspected on the directives of PHC.

12 hearings were held while 92 notices were issued to concerned units and two penalties amounting to Rs50,000 were imposed under environmental protection orders, the report added. All the regions and sections were directed to submit a tentative action plan for the months of May and June 2022.

Moreover, all the Directorates, as well as EIA section, are strictly directed to share all the Environmental approvals regarding constructions and operations for uploading on the EPA website, the report concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2022.