Environment purification drive - first phase: 27 brick kilns demolition begins in Loi Bher

Under the supervision of Director General Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak EPA) Ministry of Environment, Asif Shuja Khan, started work of demolishing 27 brick Kilns here at Loi Bher in the first phase while all 95 operational brick kilns in Rawalpindi and Islamabad would be demolished for purification of environment.
Under the programme, the owners of brick kilns would be converted to Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for green growth and providing alternate sources of income in term of carbine credits. Landowner Muhammad Nawaz Khan, Director EIA, Monitoring Asad Ullah Faiz, Deputy Director Ambreen Tariq, Assistant Director Saif Ullah Awan and other Monitoring Officers were present on the occasion.
The process would be completed shortly, while removal of the brick Kilns, would not only help reduce production of hazardous emissions, but also help decrease serious issues relating to air pollution and several fatal diseases like cancer. Muhammad Nawaz Khan said that he has purchased these 27 brick kilns on 2000 kanal land in Rs 11 crore, which were operational there for the last about 30 years.
After comprehensive consultation with Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi and DG Pak EPA, he has decided to voluntary demolish all brick kilns for the cause of healthy environment and to develop that area with maximum plantation for promotion of environment friendly activities.
DG Pak EPA said that landowner can earn more than Rs 25 crore annually through these brick kilns, but Nawaz's spirit for national cause is commendable, adding that in different phases, brick kilns would be demolished and owners would be able to get benefits from CDM through carbon credits. Asad Ullah Faiz and Ambreen Tariq said that a comprehensive survey was conducted in this regard and it took about eight months for submitting final survey report, adding that alternative technology would be introduced for the promotion of bricks industry.-PR