The Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab will launch a campaign on social media for spreading awareness about the damage caused to environment by burning of solid waste, which is a part of the smog action plan.
This was disclosed by Secretary EPD Salman Ijaz during a meeting held here on Monday to review steps taken by the department to combat smog in the province, which was chaired Punjab Environment Minister Muhammad Rizwan.
The EPD Secretary told the meeting that after implantation of the smog action plan, smoke emitting industry are temporarily shut down while brick kilns were closed from the beginning of November. "A complete ban has been imposed on the burning of the residue of crops and also we have decided to evolve an effective and people-friendly strategy for the smoke-emitting vehicles. Also, a campaign was launched to spread awareness among people about the prevention of smog," he added.
EPD DG Tanveer Waraich told the meeting that Section 144 has been imposed in smog prone districts, burning of crop residue and garbage are banned, and only brick kilns with zigzag technology are allowed to operate. "The environment department had also banned construction of new brick kilns based on Bull Trench Kiln (BTK) technology and a final deadline is given to the owners to shift their brick kilns to the new technology (zigzag) by December 31, 2020. "Only zigzag brick kilns will be permitted to operate, as it would reduce environmental pollution by 70 percent and coal usage by 30 percent," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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