Smog calamity declared in Punjab

LAHORE:

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has declared smog calamity in the province and called for necessary actions for mitigation of smog. Besides, the government also sprang into action and launched a crackdown on smoke-emitting industries and vehicles.

According to a notification issued by PDMA Punjab, all activities causing and leading to smog have been banned in the province. The illegal activities include burning crop residue, vehicle emitting visible smoke, pollutants falling into admissible limits, all industries working without emission control systems contributing to deterioration of air quality index, all stone crushers operating without scrubbers, burning of all types of solid waste, tyres, rubber and plastic and sale and use of sub-standard fuels.

The deputy commissioners have been delegated the powers of relief commissioner to take necessary actions to control and mitigate smog, stated the PDMA Punjab notification.

With the onset of winter, Punjab grapples with poor air quality every year as the combination of smoke and fog leads to high level of smog in the atmosphere. According to Environmental Protection Agency, the air quality index (AQI) reaches the level of 276 in Lahore, making the city second most pollutant city of the world and the most pollutant of the country.

In order to control the rising level of smog in the city, the administration has banned construction in the highly polluted areas, including Queen Marry Road, Shimla Pahari, Empress Road, Davis Road and Kashmir Road. Besides, the barbeque restaurants will be close at 8pm and the marriage halls at 10pm.

In view of poor air quality, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has barred special children and those suffering from diseases from attending schools. She has directed to start online classes for special children.

The Punjab government has demolished 9 brick kilns and 4 industrial units for violating of smog rules.

The Environmental Protection Agency imposed Rs120,000 fine on smoke-emitting vehicles and vowed to take action against vehicles violating environmental standard operating procedures (SOPs). The agency is carrying out round the clock digital surveillance for the survival of 4 million trees planted for the betterment of the environment.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzaib said tree plantation on road shoulders of all development schemes will be ensured on the directives of the Punjab chief minister. She said smog is a fatal disaster, urging the people to report every kind of smoke to 1373. She added that the EPA would take the prompt action against violation of smog rules.