LAHORE: Environmental emergency has been imposed across the province, to save the people from the hazards of Smog.
The provincial government has decided to run electric buses in big cities with the support of the World Bank while loans of Rs one billion will be given to industries at low-interest rates to adopt “clear technology.” All brick kilns will be transferred to zigzag technology.
The Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi chaired a high-level meeting in which it was decided to enhance the penalties for the institutions that cause environmental pollution and for the farmers as well who burn crops. The farmers will be provided with modern harvester namely “Hepper Seed” to dispose of crop residues.
The CM directed that the environment, agriculture, industries and transport departments should conduct an anti-smog campaign continuously for three months while all the Deputy Commissioners should take vigorous action to eradicate the practice of crop burning. He regretted that due to the lack of control over the burning of crop residues in Indian Punjab, Pakistan dearly suffers in the form of smog.
The CM was apprised during the briefing that environmental pollution is being monitored in Lahore through 10 air quality monitors. 1816 FIRs have been registered in Punjab for taking preventive steps that cause environmental pollution. Crackdown has also been launched against 90 industrial units spreading environmental pollution in Lahore. Action has also been taken at 6457 places on spreading pollution by burning crops across the province.
Moreover, the Cabinet Standing Committee on Wheat which met with Chief Minister Parvez Elahi in the chair, accorded approval for increasing the quota of wheat. The CM said that Punjab will be made self-sufficient in wheat.
“When I left the post of chief minister in 2008, the food department had no debt. During my previous tenure, Punjab was a surplus province. Due to the incompetence of the PML-N government, the debt burden continued to increase and due to the incompetence of the PML-N government, the surplus province was stuck in the vortex of debt.’’
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022