110 units threaten public health

LAHORE
OVER 110 different industrial units comprising steel mills, furnaces, foundries and tar coal drum makers are emitting carbon powder and other air pollutants posing a serious threat to the lives of thousands of citizens of various city localities.
A recent list compiled by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Punjab revealed that majority of these industrial units are not following the environmental rules and regulations besides ignoring the guidelines of the EPA in controlling air pollution.
Sources said EPA Director General Farooq Hameed Sheikh has directed the District Officer (Environment) Lahore to immediately initiate legal action against the polluters. DG EPA also directed DOs of Gujranwala, Sialkot and Sheikhupura Districts to launch a campaign against smoke-emitting vehicles immediately.
Sources said most of these units use substandard fuel like rubber, rubber dust, plastic, coal and low quality furnace oil besides taking any emission control arrangements resulting in visible smoke emissions leading to environmental pollution and threat to public health.
Sources in City District Government Lahore (CDGL) revealed that whenever the Environment Department seals any of smoke emitting industrial units, it becomes operative just after getting a conditional de-sealing approval from the DCO Lahore by submitting an undertaking that he will not use substandard fuel and will follow the rules and regulations related to environment.
Sources further revealed that following the repeated checks of EPA, many of these units had installed wet scrubbers to control air emissions but in practical these scrubbers are inefficient or can’t be used due to electricity crisis and other reasons, including high cost of operation.
As per the EPA list, the following units are violating environmental rules: Madina Steel Re-Rolling Mills, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Maqsood Steel Re-Rolling Mills, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Shoukat Steel, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Ghousia Steel, Mominpura (using tyre carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), SA Steel, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), HK Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Sohail Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Khalil Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Afzal Wire Works, Mominpura (burning plastic wires), Niamatullah Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Shahid Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Karamat Steel, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Allah Ditta Steel, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Khalil Steel, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Ashiq Masih Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Saleem Tar Coal melting Works, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Khalid Tar Coal, Gulbahar Colony (hearing notice issued), BG Steel Re-rolling, Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Haq Nawaz Steel, Ahmed Town (wet scrubber is inefficient), Abdul Razzaq Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Sabir Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Javed Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Shoukat Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Latif Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Khalid/Ramzan Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Karim Shah Drum Works, Ahmed Town (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Murtaza Steel, Mominpura (wet scrubber is inefficient), Abid Steel, Salamatpura GT Road (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Ali Asghar Tar Coal Drum Works, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Awais Tar Coal Burning, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Javaid Tar Coal, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Awais Ahmed tar Coal Burning, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Abdul Ghafoor Tar Coal, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Allah Rakha Tar Coal Burning, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Usman Steel Mills, Akbar Chowk Mominpura (using carbon powder as fuel and wet scrubber is inefficient), Maqbool Tar Coal, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Sadique Drum Melting, MS Road Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Waris Steel re-rolling mills, Mominpura (use of carbon powder and no pollution controlled device installed), Shrief Drum Works, Mominpura (use of plastic Dehla as fuel), Khalil Ahmed tar Coal, Akbar Colony Mominpura (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Shehzad Steel, Bhenni Road (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Khurram Steel Unit-II, Bhenni Road (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Naveed Steel, Bhenni Road (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Muhammadia Steel, Bhenni Road (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Ali Steel, Bhenni Road (No pollution control device), Toheed Steel, Sharifpura (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), New Noshahi Steel, Sharifpura (burning of plastic Dehla and inefficient wet scrubber), Tariq Steel, Sharifpura Bhenni Road (use of plastic Dehla as fuel and inefficient wet scrubber), Ghulam Sarwar Steel, Baisal More Lakhodair Road (burning of coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Smith & Co, Lakhodair Road (use of plastic Dehla as fuel and inefficient wet scrubber), Haji Yaseen, Lakhodair Road (burning of plastic Dehla as fuel and inefficient wet scrubber), Noshahi Steel, Lakhodair Road (use of plastic Dehla as fuel and inefficient wet scrubber), Noor Steel Malik Road Lakhodair (burning of Coal and inefficient wet scrubber), Madni Steel Lakhodair (use of plastic Dehla as fuel and inefficient wet scrubber), Sultan Steel, Lakhodair Road (use of plastic Dehla as fuel and no emission control devices), Haji Khalid Steel, Lakhodair Road (inefficient wet scrubber), Ishtiaq Steel, Bhenni Road (use of Carbon Powder and Coal as fuel and no emission control measures), Malik Qaiser, Bhenni Road (Tyre and Coal burning and no pollution control devices), Barkat Steel, Bhenni Road (use of carbon powder and coal as fuel and no emission control measures), Haroon Pyrolysis, Bhenni Road (offensive smell, air pollution and carbon particles emissions), Mehmood Steel, Bhenni Road (burning of plastic Dehla, tyres and carbon powder as fuel), Zulfiqar Steel, Bhenni Road (wet scrubber is inefficient), GM Steel Re-rolling, Bhenni Road (Coal burning without efficient air pollution devices), Gulzar Steel Unit II, Bhenni Road (Coal burning without efficient air pollution devices), Fahad Ishtiaq Steel, Bhenni Road (Plastic waste burning and inefficient scrubbers), Barkat Steel, Bhenni Road (sealed), Malik Shahid Re-rolling, Bhenni Road (scrubber was inefficient), Malik Karamat Steel, Bhenni Road (scrubber was inefficient), Muneer Steel, Bhenni Road (Coal burning and scrubber was inefficient), Toheed Steel, Bhenni Road (scrubber was inefficient), Mashallah Steel Re-rolling, Bhenni Road (use of coal powder, plastic waste and no pollution control devices), Haji Ilyas Pyrolysis, Bhenni Road (Severe pungent smell and air pollution), Abdul Qadir Steel, Ring Road (scrubber was inefficient), Haji Siddique Steel, Ring Road (use of carbon as fuel and scrubber was inefficient), Ali Steel Mills, Ring Road (No scrubber), Shehzad Mughal Steel, Ring Road (no scrubber), Toheed Steel, Ring Road (scrubber was inefficient), New Noshahi Re-rolling, Ring Road (use of plastic waste as fuel and inefficient scrubbers), Azam Tyre Carbon Store, Mominpura (storage of carbon without any protection), Din Steel, Mehmood Booti (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Malik Rafaqat Steel, Mehmood Booti (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Shabbir Steel, Mehmood Booti (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Shahzad Steel, Mehmood Booti (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Rashid Steel Mill, Mehmood Booti (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Al-Meraj Pipe Industry, Mominpura (The unit has been sealed due to use of pyro oil and non-installation of air pollution control devices), Muneer Steel, Bhani Road (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Qasim Steel, Ada Sabil (Carbon burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Mushtaq Steel, Ada Sabil (plastic waste burning without appropriate pollution control devices), Manga Steel, Sultan Mehmood Road (Sealed for burning plastic and non-installation of appropriate pollution control devices) and Ammar Steel, Sultan Mehmood (inefficient wet scrubbers).
Sources further said that the list also contained the names of units sealed due to burning of coal, plastic, tar coal and other substandard fuel and without taking effective pollution control measures. These units are Abdul Hameed Tar Coal, Sidra Steel, Qasim Steel, MM Steel, Ahsan Steel, Sarwar Gill Steel, M Saleem Tar Coal, Ameen Steel, Haji Ahmed Steel, Faisal Carbon Processing Unit, Haji Ashraf Steel Mills, Siraj Steel Mills, Khalid Maqsood Steel Mills and Hafeez-ur-Rehman Steel Mills.
When contacted, EPA DG Farooq Hameed Sheikh said he had directed the district officers (Environment) to expedite the campaign against such units and immediately issue advisory letters to them quoting requirement of compliance of Punjab Environmental Protection Act and NEQS. He said he also planned to pay surprise visits to different districts.