CS ordered to submit report on curbing smog

LAHORE: Judicial Water and Environment Commission (JWEC) has directed Chief Secretary Punjab to submit a weekly report regarding activities to curb smog.

A high level meeting of JWEC was held at Wasa head office here on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by Chairman Judicial Water and Environment Commission Justice (retd) Ali Akbar Qureshi while Chief Secretary Punjab and other senior officials participated online while DMD Operation Wasa M Ghafran, Additional Commissioner Syed Ammar Anwar and other officials were present in the meeting.

Chief Secretary Punjab said that the role of the commission in reducing environmental pollution was commendable. He directed all field formations to further expedite actions against smog and directed deputy commissioners to submit weekly reports to the Commission for the prevention of smog. Secretary Agriculture informed the Commission that 1236 incidents of burning of crops were reported on which 400 FIRs were registered and a fine of over Rs 1 million was imposed on the violators. He said modern machinery worth Rs 18 crore was also given to farmers while an awareness campaign was also started to educate the farmers. Chairman of the Commission also reviewed the chaotic traffic in Lahore which increases smog in the city. The Commission has constituted a committee comprising Chief Engineer TEPA, CTO Lahore, Lahore Transport Company, LDA, Lahore Parking Company to take measures to eliminate encroachments and resolve parking issues in the provincial metropolis.

The CTO Lahore informed the meeting that there were 6.5 million vehicles on the roads of Lahore, of which 4.5 million were motorbikes. To control traffic, attention should be paid to improve and increase public transport. Secretary Transport Naeem Bukhari said that modern equipment should be provided for checking vehicles emitting smoke in Lahore and Punjab.

Environment Secretary said that the Environment Department checked 13972 vehicles across Punjab, issued 4798 warnings and seized many vehicles besides registration of 217 FIRs.

He further informed the meeting that as many as 95 industries were checked and 27 units were sealed in Lahore from Oct 4 to Nov 2. He said 189 brick kilns in Lahore were checked and five were sealed.

The chairman of the commission said that private hospitals, wedding halls and plazas should be required to arrange their own parking. He directed the EPD to further improve its activities.