Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir Friday said that provinces should play an effective role to address issues relating to air pollution and climate change. She expressed these views while taking to media persons after postponement of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change due to lack of quorum.
"Subject of climate change has been devolved to the provinces after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment. Now, the provinces should fulfil their responsibility to address the issues relating to pollution and climate change," she said.
She said Environment Protection Department Punjab had asked the brick kiln owners to shut down brick kilns from October 20 to December 31 in view of protecting environment from the hazards of smog. He said Punjab traffic police had fined vehicles emitting smoke to the tune of Rs 5 million.
She said the pollution was one of the main issues that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government aimed at tackling through the 'Clean and Green Pakistan' like initiatives. He was of the view that effects of climate change in Pakistan have been reduced due to plantation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said Pakistan was providing data to China which was conducting research on global climate changes.
She said the government had a target of planting 10 billion samplings in the campaign, adding the provinces had been asked to prepare PC-1 to set their targets for planting trees.
The state minister said that Karachi, Faisalabad, Lahore and some other major cities had high rate of air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was assessing the rate of pollution in those cities and taking measures to overcome it, she added.
She said Pakistan would have to talk with India to address issues of air pollution (smog), particularly in Lahore. She said the cross-border factors were contributing to smog in the country.
Earlier, the proceedings of the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change could not be started due to lack of quorum. Only one member of the committee Senator Sherry Rehman came to attend the meeting. Committee Chairperson Senator Sitara Ayaz postponed the meeting due to lack of quorum after waiting half an hour for the members.