Environmental emergency imposed in Punjab

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday imposed an environmental emergency in Lahore and other cities to reduce the smog, which has been declared a calamity.

“There is a ban on burning crop residues across Punjab,” the CM said and ordered implementation of a plan designed to reduce smog. He said action should be taken to control the factors causing smog.

He said EPD, transport and administrative officers should go to field as any failure to implement the ongoing SOPs to reduce smog would not be tolerated.

He said indiscriminate action should be taken against those who set fire to crop residues while legal action should also be continued against smog-emitting vehicles.

The anti-smog squad should regularly check smog-emitting vehicles in the city. The squad should ensure checking of vehicles at the entrances of Lahore city, he said, adding that farmers would be provided modern harvester “Hepper Seed” to destroy crop residues. Transfer of all brick kilns to zigzag technology should also be ensured, he concluded.