Crop residue burning in India worsens smog situation: minister

LAHORE: Minister for Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has asked the general public to understand the difference between smog and air pollution.

EPD Minister Muhammad Rizwan said this while addressing a press conference here on Monday.“The public needs to understand that smog is a form of air pollution that fumes into the air, created by the combination of fog while major cause of smog included 43pc pollution from transport sector, emissions from industries 25pc, waste and solid waste burning included 20pc,” he said.

The minister said large scale burning of crop residues in India also aggravates the smog situation in Punjab, especially in Lahore. He said in this regard, the Department of Environmental Protection has set up smog committees at the district level while the establishment of smog squads has been ensured in the department.

The brick kilns and industrial units are being monitored on daily basis, in addition to sealing polluting industrial establishments. Fines are being levied and in case of non-compliance with the instructions of the department violators are being fined and FIRs being registered against them, he stated.

The minister said in order to control traffic pollution, the department along with the traffic police has been conducting various operations and imposing fines. Pollution control devices were being installed in air pollutants units, he said.

He said the government was starting a pilot project in collaboration with Sparco in Lahore in which different types of environmental models will be developed to address the root causes of pollution. In addition, in Lahore, pollution was being monitored on a daily basis and information was being provided to the public through the media, he said and appealed to the media representatives to support the government in spreading awareness among people to prevent environmental pollution and made success of the Billion Tree Tsunami Scheme by promoting vision of PM Imran Khan.

Before this, the minister chaired meeting of 4th cabinet sub-committee on smog held at Quad-e-Azam Educational Development Academy. The meeting discussed progress on actions taken by all departments concerned to prevent and control smog in connection with previous meeting.

A representative of the district administration briefed the chair that five teams have been established as anti-smog squad in which Lesco, Wapda, transport, police, building control and representative of EPD included while helpline numbers of EPD and PDMA were published. Representative of transport briefed that proposal being sent to cabinet for changing the rules checking of commercial and private vehicles.

The minister directed all departments concerned not to allow any brick kiln to operate without environment friendly technology. The meeting was attended by EPD secretary Syed Mubasher Hussain, DG EPA Ambreen Sajid, secretaries of different departments, representatives of industry, transport, police, health, solid waste, forest, agriculture, EPD, EPA and Met Department.