LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday expressed its dissatisfaction over the government’s actions to control smog and directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a meeting and ensure ban on smoke emitting vehicles and action against industries causing emissions.

The court also directed the government to release information and make it available to the public regarding the air quality index.

Hearing petitions relating to different environmental challenges, the court directed the law officer to convey the court’s concern to the chief secretary and adjourned the proceedings till November 02.

The court regretted that there was a time when deputy commissioners in every district used to perform their statutory obligations and implement law in letter and spirit. Unfortunately, they were not sensitized to the environmental issues that had adversely affected sustainable development, he added.

The law officer stated that a notification had been issued to declare smog as a calamity under Punjab National Calamity Act 1958.

The court, however, observed that mere issuance of a notification would not help to curb the smog unless or until the chief secretary and the commissioners took serious actions and passed executive orders against the industries violating the laws.

The law officer at this informed the court that the commissioners had been delegated the task in all major cities to curb the smog.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka, representing a petitioner, said the government needed to take drastic steps and must ensure to close down brick kilns.

A lawyer on behalf of the environmental department assured the court that the whole brick kiln industry would remain closed from November to middle of December.

A counsel for the association of brick kilns objected to the closure of the industry, however, the court observed that no concession could be given to the brick kiln industry as the wellbeing of the public at large was at stake.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020