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North Lahore becomes hub of steel industry
Monday, September 15, 2008
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE
THE Environment Protection Department (EPD) is struggling to stop more than 1,000 steel industries from causing serious environmental hazards especially noise and air pollution in various localities of Lahore.
Relaxed attitude of authorities concerned towards the unauthorised rapid industrialisation especially in residential areas is the main reason for the mess and presently northern Lahore has become a hub of light and heavy steel industry.
The localities such as Shadbagh, Misri Shah, Daroghawala, Bhagat Pura, Baghbanpura, Mughalpura, Chah Miran, Tajpura, Taj Bagh and other nearby areas are full of industries including steel foundries, steel re-rolling mills, steel furnaces and scrap yards. All of these industries are spreading different types of pollutions especially air, noise, vibration and heat.
Besides the residential areas, a good number of steel mills are also operating around the historical monuments such as Shalamar Garden, Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. The Environment department of CDGL had already served notices on some 48 such mills but to no effect.
Recently, the EPD also served notices on majority of millers in northern Lahore for using used tyres and substandard rubber products to fire their furnaces. A senior EPD official said air pollution was the key environmental hazard being spread by the steel industry in the residential localities. “The major source of air pollution is the furnace, which releases pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and toxic metals,” said an environmentalist, Shahid Bhatti.
He said a major air pollutant in the smoke was Particulate Matter (PM), which included toxic dust and fumes of lead, chromium, cadmium and zinc.
“These uncontrolled emissions are resulting in deterioration of air quality,” he said, adding the air pollutants restrict photosynthesis, increase respiratory infections, birth defects, acid rains, and lung damage.
He maintained that lead and cadmium were also present in the fumes released by furnaces that cause collapse of central nervous system and degeneration of joints, lungs and kidney diseases respectively.
Another senior EPD official said as per Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, all industrial units whether cottage or large units were supposed to obtain an NOC from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) but over 90 per cent industrial units were operating without fulfilling this legal formality.
He said the EPD has already started a detailed survey in northern Lahore to access the situation. He said the department was also working on shifting these industrial units outside the city. He further said that recently two steel industries installed scrubbers to control air pollution. He said the department was coordinating and assisting those factories in installation of scrubbers so that such devices could be installed at every steel industry to minimize pollution.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
