Euro-5 fuel, environmental friendly vehicles suggested to control smog

LAHORE: In a bid to control smog and air pollution, the government should shift from Euro-1 fuel to Euro-5 fuel and environmental friendly vehicles.

This was suggested by a committee constituted on the orders of Lahore High Court for prevention of smog here on Wednesday. The committee’s meeting held at the office of Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (Tepa) was chaired by Tepa Chief Engineer Abdul Razaq Chauhan.

The meeting was attended by Tepa officials and representatives of commissioner's office, PHA, RHUDA, DHA, LCB, MCL, Traffic Police and Forest Department. Abdul Razaq Chauhan told the meeting that this was the tenth meeting of the committee and detailed deliberations were already held over the issue of prevention of smog, air pollution and better traffic system. “Now it is time to give suggestions a practical shape,” he said, adding every department should enforce its recommendations given to the committee in its jurisdiction.

Almost 45 percent of smog contained vehicular pollution, he said and added that the committee has already recommended the government to switch to Euro-5 fuel from the presently imported Euro-1 fuel to reduce Sulphur content. He said good quality and environment friendly engines should be introduced by the local vehicle manufacturers. Tepa chief engineer emphasised on intensified tree planting campaign and said the development authorities should amend their building bylaws and made it compulsory for building owners to plant a fix amount of trees. He said that cutting of trees should be prohibited in the city.

Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) was already doing a tree census in the provincial capital, he revealed and said that anyone who wanted to cut a fully grown tree will have to get approval from the departments concerned. He said if anyone cuts a tree without approval, he will have to pay heavy fine and plant at least 10 trees in replacement.

The meeting discussed the recent suggestion of rooftop plantation in the city. The Tepa CE showed the participants charts and pictures of rooftop plantation being done in western countries. He said LHC has already directed the development authorities to amend their building bylaws to ensure compliance of rooftop gardens and plantations.

To reduce traffic on roads, he said only 200 buses were plying on city roads whereas the demand was around 2,500 buses. He said transport department was working on induction of 100 green buses in the city.

The meeting discussed issues of parking in the city and it was unanimously agreed that fines for illegal parking should be increased so that people will start parking their vehicles at the designated places or at nearby parking plazas. He stressed the need for more parking plazas in the city and said LDA and other departments concerned should work on construction of parking plazas at the sites pointed out by Tepa as well as traffic police.

The meeting discussed traffic jams during rainy season and it was revealed that when rainwater accumulated on major roads, a large number of motorcyclists took shelter under the underpasses and shady places while majority of cars moved in one lane to avoid splashing of stagnant rainwater.

Over this situation, the CE asked the CTO to ensure clearance of underpasses from motorcyclists taking shelter under it. He also directed the officials of Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) to clear the roads to avoid choking of drainage system.

Abdul Razaq Chauhan also asked the representative of Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure monitoring of correct Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city. He said it was a point of concern for all that EPA has only one mobile van to monitor AQI of the entire city. He said EPA should have a monitoring station or a van for all the nine towns of the city. He directed the EPA to issue a proper report of daily AQI of the city to the media houses. He told the meeting that Tepa had already submitted six reports in the Lahore High Court on smog remediation while the seventh report will be submitted to the Lahore High Court at next hearing.