Court orders to curb smog to be implemented: SMBR

LAHORE:Under the chairmanship of Zahid Akhtar Zaman Senior Member Board of Revenue, a meeting regarding the prevention of smog was held in the committee room of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

In the meeting, important decisions were made regarding the adoption of a strict strategy to curb smog. Senior Member Board of Revenue Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman while talking to the meeting said that the anti-smog orders of high court would be implemented without any delay.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary Agriculture, Secretary Local Government, Secretary Transport, Secretary Industry, Secretary Environment and Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Faisal Farid. Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners participated in the meeting through a video link. The officers of the departments included in the working group briefed the meeting on the activities to eliminate smog. On this occasion, Senior Member Board of Revenue / Relief Commissioner Punjab directed the departments concerned to immediately monitor closely in all the industrial zones of Punjab. He issued orders to set up anti-smog cells and ordered the DCs of Lahore, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura to check the air quality index twice during the peak hours of the day. PDMA DG Faisal Farid told the meeting that motorcycles, rickshaws and trucks were causing smog in cities which was worrisome. SMBR issued instructions to the police officers and the Transport Department to launch a crackdown on vehicles and motorcycles that cause smog so that the environment could be kept clean. He said that in Lahore, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur and Sheikhupura, the installation of air quality checking equipment would be ensured.