The Lahore High Court on Thursday disposed of petitions for plantation of trees in Lahore after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab submitted a verification report regarding plantation of 27,510 trees by the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA). Meanwhile, the court sought report and recommendations from the smog commission to curb the aggravating smog level by June 9 in some petitions against increase in smog level in the province.
The secretary environment however verified the report only to the extent that 3200 trees planted against the stripped off trees during construction of Orange Train project. The PHA counsel however submitted that 27,510 trees had been planted across the Punjab. The court disposed of the petitions and appreciated the efforts of PHA and EPA for taking an important step for the enforcement of fundamental rights of citizens.
The petitioner's counsel Sheraz Zaka said that in 2015 the Punjab government had given an understanding before the Supreme Court that it would plant 10 trees against one tree cut during the construction work on roads. Earlier in another similar petition against increase in the smog, Dr Pervez Hassan along with smog commission members appeared and submitted that five committees had been constituted and the final report is in the pipeline. He therefore sought time to file the final report and recommendations to curb the smog level in the province.
The petitioner' counsel said in Pakistan the reason behind the smog was lack of enforcement of environmental laws and the EPA testing laboratory was also not functioning. He submitted that the government had not taken any adequate awareness measures.
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