Smog prevention measures: EPA to check quality of fuel being sold at pumps

LAHORE:In a bid to prevent smog during the months of October to December, Punjab government has taken a big step under which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will check the quality of fuel being sold at all the petrol pumps across the province.

Officials said this important progress was made to ensure implementation of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's vision to improve the environment and now the EPA will soon launch of grand operation across Punjab to check fuel quality to free environment from toxic fumes.

Officials said on the instructions of Senior Minister Murriyam Aurangzeb, the order was issued by the EPA Director General Dr Imran Hamid Shaikh under Section 6A of the Environmental Protection Act, Punjab, 1997 on August 07, 2024.

The order stated that “Whereas, Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab govt is striving hard to combat the devastating impacts of smog that is likely prevail from Oct-Dec, 2024. Pre-emptive measures against all the sources of air pollution have already been started by EPA as well as other departments concerned. And whereas, one of the key contributors to smog is the harmful vehicular emissions due to use of substandard fuel, which significantly increases the risk to human health. And whereas, as per Section 2 (xxxiii) of The Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997, pollution means the contamination of air, land or water by the discharge or emission of effluents or wastes or air pollutants or noise or other matter which either directly or indirectly or in combination with other discharges or substances alters unfavorably the chemical, physical, biological, radiation, thermal or radiological or aesthetic properties of the air, land or water or which may, or is likely to make the air, land or water unclean, noxious or impure or injurious, disagreeable or detrimental to the health, safety, welfare or property of persons or harmful to biodiversity.”

“The proponent shall submit monthly monitoring report to EPA field office. The said monitoring to be done by the OMC concerned shall be conducted in the presence of EPA field staff, otherwise, it shall not be considered as a valid report,” the orders stated and added that the EPA's laboratories shall conduct fuel quality tests randomly and the proponent shall be bound to assist EPA staff in the said testing process throughout the activities of the project.”

The order further stated that the above mentioned clauses shall be deemed to be part of Environmental Approvals issued to the Petrol Pumps and filling stations and any contravention to this order shall be dealt with strictly as per relevant legal framework.

“There will be an inspection of the fuel sold at every petrol pump throughout the province every month. Along with oil marketing companies, EPA staff will also inspect fuel at petrol pumps. Fuel quality laboratories of the Environmental Protection Agency will conduct chemical analysis of gasoline pump oil and the fuel will be checked as per the standards set by OGRA,” the order maintained and warned that strict legal action will be taken against petrol pumps that do not sell petrol and diesel according to legal standards.

Punjab Chief Minister had already announced a comprehensive vision for prevention of smog and environmental improvement across the province. Under the vision of environmental improvement, the campaign to apply environmental laws and regulations in all sectors including industry, agriculture, vehicles, kilns was going on. Kilns without zigzag technology have already been demolished and measures for monitoring toxic fumes in industries and using modern technology were also being implemented, said EPA officials adding arrests have also been made for remediation of fumes spread by destroying crops.

They said for the first time in Punjab, action was taken against smog-emitting vehicles using modern technology and drones and now legal and administrative measures have been initiated to prevent the use of substandard and substandard fuel.

Earlier, the Punjab government has also taken steps to ban the use of shopping bags and for the first time on Eid ul Azha, lakhs of special bags were also distributed to the public to prevent pollution.