Efforts intensified to reduce severity of smog

LAHORE : The Punjab government has started working on an anti-smog plan since April to avoid the situation of smog this year.

On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Punjab government took several measures to combat smog from April to September, focusing on agriculture, transport, environment, industry, energy, education and health sectors.

To reduce the intensity of smog, the government has accelerated its actions, as the severity of smog has made life haram for the citizens from October to February for many years.

According to the official statistics, 12 thousand 540 industrial units were checked in 6 months from April to September, while issuing notices to 4403 industrial setups, while 117 units were demolished.

Likewise, 594 units were sealed and cases were registered against 361, fines of Rs7 crore were separately imposed.

In addition, during the checking of 75 thousand 881 vehicles, challans of 18 thousand 69 vehicles and routes of 24 vehicles were canceled, while 13 thousand 678 vehicles, emitting smoke were closed and fined 32 million rupees.

Similarly, 8810 construction work inspections were done in 6 months.

The sites were checked, 26 were sealed and 376 were given notices.

According to the statistics, 38 thousand 528 kilns were visited, notices were issued to 9 thousand 617 and 240 were demolished, 1012 kilns were closed and cases were registered against 217 and a fine of Rs89 million was also imposed.

Similarly, in the anti-plastic campaign, 59 thousand 389 inspections were conducted, 191 complaints were registered with the Environmental Magistrate, 19 lakh rupees were fined, in the plantation campaign 3 crore 60 lakh trees were planted in Punjab and 48 lakh saplings were planted in Lahore alone.

Special committees were formed in rural areas to control the burning of crop residues, green transport project was launched across Punjab in the context of transport, 5 thousand electric buses will be introduced across Punjab.

Meanwhile, 1 thousand will run in the first phase, the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has recently approved 24 e-buses while the e-bike scheme for students is also going on successfully.

Furthermore, devices will be installed at various intersections of the city to check the rate of pollution, Safe City cameras has accelerated efforts in identifying vehicles emitting smoke.

In this connection, 2,000 interns will be kept for 3 months to monitor the environment in Lahore, Faisalabad to ban plastic. additionally, anti-smog squad has been appointed in Gujranwala, that will monitor the emission of toxic gases from the industries.

It is worth mentioning here that the checking of the industries will also continue with the help of drones.