KARACHI: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) during its campaign of vehicles' inspection at various busy places and roads of the city during the last two months found that 22 percent of the vehicles were violating the provincial environmental law, and were penalized on the spot through traffic police, officials said.

They said SEPA is constantly monitoring small and large vehicles plying in the city. In Oct and Nov, a total of 729 small and large vehicles including buses, cars, wagons, rickshaws, trucks, trailers, and pickups were inspected by SEPA teams in all districts of Karachi led by Engr Sada Bakhsh, in-charge of environmental monitoring of vehicles.

Out of them, 161 vehicles were found to be emitting smoke beyond the Environmental Quality Standards of Sindh. The places where vehicles were checked include Jail Chowrangi, Gurumandir, Drig Road, Post Office, Napa Chowrangi, Clifton, Tin Hatti, KDA Chowrangi, Karimabad, Safora Chowrangi, Qayyumabad, Shaan Chowrangi, Tariq Road, Singer. Chowrangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi University, Hassan Square, Old Sabzi Mandi, Islamia College, 4K Chowrangi, Serena Chowrangi, Golimar Chowrangi, Lasbela, Defense Mor and Qayyumabad.

During the inspection, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon were specially checked in the smoke emitted from the vehicles, and the amount of these gases was found to be high in the emissions of 161 vehicles which were penalized to the tune of Rs 161,000 with the help of traffic police.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020