The Environment and Alternative Energy Department of Sindh government is re-launching the campaign against smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles from March 27, 2010 to contain the ever-growing pollution in the city. This decision was taken at a meeting of officials of the environment department at the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Korangi with Minister for Environment and Alternative Energy Mohammad Afzal in the chair on Wednesday.
Director, Vehicular Emission Control Program, Shahid Faryad also attended the meeting. Sources said that the campaign was earlier launched by the department in January this year but was held back due to law and order situation in the city. They said that now the campaign would be re-launched in the remaining areas to check smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles and disciplinary action would be taken against them.
Under the Vehicular Emission Control Program, the ratio of the poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide being emitted by public transports including buses, minibuses and coaches would be checked and action against vehicle drivers and owners would be initiated under Section 15 of the National Environmental Protection, Act 1997.
A total of 1182 vehicles were checked during the earlier campaign, out of which 605 were emitting smoke more than the environment standard, sources said, adding that the traffic police issued show-cause and challans to 319 vehicles.
The environment experts, with the help of traffic police, would intercept smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles to thoroughly check the vehicle, they said. During the campaign, owners of smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles would be asked to properly maintain their vehicle engine and silencers, besides the use of pure engine fuel to bring the quantity of smoke at par with the National Environmental Quality Standard (NEQS), sources said.
According to the new schedule, the Green Squads of environment and alternative energy department would check smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles at Korangi Crossing on March 27, Korangi 2.1/2 (March 29), Singer Chowrangi (March 30), Brookes Chowrangi (March 31), Shah Faisal Colony (April 1), Malir-Saudabad (April 5) and Safoora Chowrangi on April 6.