Strategy to curb noisy and smoke-emitting vehicles chalked out

Sindh Environment and Alternative Energy Department has chalked out a strategy against noisy and smoke emitting vehicles including the rickshaws in the districts of Sukkur, Shikarpur, and Larkana which will be put into action from June 01, 2005. A vigorous campaign against such vehicles is already in progress in Nawabshah district and according to Waqar Phulpoto, Deputy Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sukkur, positive results are being achieved there as regards to reduction in the level of pollution caused due to smoke emission of vehicles in general and rickshaws in particular besides air pollution from the industries.
Waqar Phulpoto said, according to experts the vehiclar and industrial emissions are among major factors responsible for environmental pollution.
He said, during the last quarter of 2004 a campaign was conducted in Sukkur and Khairpur districts and legal action was taken against the drivers of faulty vehicles, besides, the rickshaw drivers were persuaded to adopt corrective measures so that air and noise pollution could be contained.
He highly lauded the assistance of district traffic police and the district authorities in making the campaign a real success.
He said in addition to employing traffic police for checking of vehicles during the forthcoming campaign against smoke emissions, meetings would also be held with the NGOs, social workers, ulema and all the stake-holders to educate the people and vehicle operators about the hazards of pollution.
Deputy Director EPA Sukkur said different industrial concerns working in Sukkur, Khairpur and Ghotki districts had been asked to regulate their units according to the environment specifications so as to contain industrial air pollution.
He said a vigilance team of EPA Sukkur was also formed for keeping a regular check on the local hospitals and factories and they had been asked to adopt extreme measures to check the spread of solid waste and also for ensuring its quick disposal according to the specific standard.