PUNJAB Environment Protection Department (EPD) has directed all industrial units situated on Lahore-Gujranwala and Lahore-Sheikhupura Roads, National Highway Authority (NHA) and a contractor company, LAFCO, to complete beautification of these two roads within the next two months otherwise action will be taken against them.
This was decided in a high-level meeting headed by Punjab Environment Minister Faqir Ejazuddin here on Friday. The meeting was attended by NHA general Manager Col (Retd) Ahmed Javed, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura Environment district officers, Naseem Qureshi of EPD, LAFCO CEO Brig (Retd) Masroor Ahmed Abbasi and officials of Forest and Communication and Works department. The meeting stressed the need for beautification of major inter-city roads and said industrialists, NHA and LAFCO should start trees and flowers planting in and outside their industries and by the roadsides.
Sources in EPD said the meeting was informed that LAFCO had cut some 7,000 trees while constructing Lahore-Faisalabad Motorway. LAFCO planted over 90,000 saplings, the sources added.
However, the minister directed LAFCO administration to plant more trees along the newly constructed road. The minister took strong notice of the presence of solid waste and effluents outside the industrial units and along the roads especially the Lahore-Gujranwala and Lahore-Sheikhupura ones.
He directed the industrial units to lift their solid waste from outside their premises. He directed NHA and LAFCO to construct a storm drain along these roads. The meeting also decided that the industrialists will shoulder the cost of construction of drains to dispose of their industrial wastewater properly. Sources said the meeting concluded with a note that the EPD will examine the industrial units as well as both these roads after two months and anyone failing to improve the atmosphere will be held accountable and the EPD will take action against them under
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997.
The sources said the beautification of factories and industrial units along the main roads include interior and exterior landscaping, cultivation of flora as well as plantation of other trees.
The sources said the beautification is other than the implementation of National Environmental Quality Standards, which an industrial unit has to follow and implement.
