Steps taken to check smog in Punjab not enough: commission

LAHORE: The Judicial Water and Environment Commission has expressed anger over burning of crop residues. The commission’s chairman, Justice (r) Ali Akbar Qureshi, chaired a meeting held at Wasa Head Office here on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Lahore Commissioner Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman, Wasa MD Syed Zahid Aziz, Provincial Disaster Management Authority DG Mansoor Ahmed, EPA DG Ambreen Sajid, Anis Ali Khan and the focal person of the commission, Syed Kamal Haider.

The Judicial Water and Environment Commission chairman expressed anger over slow implementation of SOPs to prevent smog and said that the measures taken to check smog were not enough.

He directed all the departments concerned to expedite action against those who burn crop residues. The PDMA DG told the meeting that with the help of SUPARCO, thermal imaging of the places of fire across the province would be sent to all the deputy commissioners for immediate action.

The chairman of the commission directed all the deputy commissioners to submit the progress of their field formations to the commission on a daily basis. Wasa MD Syed Zahid Aziz informed the commission that the agency had stopped using all its heavy machinery from October 15, 2021. He said that all officers had been directed to ensure sharing vehicles for coming to the offices and going to meetings.

He said all Wasa officers and other employees came to the office on bicycles once a week. The Lahore commissioner informed the commission that all petrol pumps in Lahore must have to be converted to Euro 5 instead of Euro 2 for one month.

He also suggested that in the future, fuel-consuming industries would have to be shifted be shifted to bio fuel up to 15 percent of their annual consumption. The chairman of the commission directed the officers of the Agriculture Department to closely monitor their respective areas and take strict action against those who were burning crop residue.

Justice (retd) Ali Akbar Qureshi said that the task force of the commission sealed 30 factories across Lahore in the last two days. The representative of EPA informed the commission that 2183 industries were checked across Punjab from October 7 to November 16 and 197 FIR were registered while 93 persons were arrests and 245 units were sealed.

A total of 4761 kilns across Punjab were checked and Rs 359.28million fine was imposed on the violators while 797 FIRs were registered, 22 persons arrested and 274 kilns sealed. The Environment Protection Department officials informed the meeting that they checked 207 industries across Lahore from October 4 to November 16, sealed 12 and registered FIRs against 77 units. Across Lahore, the EPA checked 4,097 vehicles, challaned 1,119 vehicles and imposed Rs1334750 fine besides impounding 139 vehicles.