LAHORE: Traffic smoke is the major cause of the smog in Punjab contributing 43 percent in the environment pollution, 25 percent from the industries and 20 percent by litter burning.

Punjab Minister for Environment Muhammad Rizwan claimed this while talking to media persons in the committee room of the Environment Protection Department (EPD) here on Thursday.

He said that the provincial government had already declared smog as a calamity and initiated a comprehensive strategy to control it. He said strict actions will be initiated against the factors causing smog.

The minister said that environment department with the collaboration of allied department launched a crackdown against the smoke emitting vehicles and brick kiln of old technology will be closed from November to December in this year. He also cleared that all the units/factories and kilns caused air pollution have been identified and given a deadline of the end of this September before the arrival of the smog season to enable their units to control pollution otherwise they will not be allowed to operate.

The minister in the response to a question said that EPA Punjab has now drafted the new Rules because in the past thousands of cases were waiting due to unavailability of Penalty rules, which will now be streamlined. The minister said that EPA will take stringent action against persistent defaulters i.e. units operating without obtaining Environmental Approval. He further said that most units/industry in Punjab were operating without NOCs and were causing severe pollution, these units were also tax evaders. Environment Protection Department is formulating SOPs for small resource recovery unit and with the help of District Administration a crackdown will be launched against units of fuel adulteration.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020