Provincial Minister for Environment M. Rizwan has said that over the past decade, Lahore had lost about 70 percent of its tree cover as the city became an urban centre.

He expressed these views while talking to media persons on the occasion of inauguration ceremony regarding clean & green index Punjab. He said that pollution levels in Lahore had increased drastically and now poses a danger to its residents because no measures were taken to curb pollution and preserve the environment by the previous government. The incumbent government has introduced multiple campaigns and drives to combat climate change, including the billion tree tsunami and clean green Pakistan.

The minister said that Prime Minister launched the Clean Green Pakistan Index (CGPI) as part of his government's efforts to curb pollution and reduce the effects of climate change. He said that the scheme CGPI will be helpful to control environment especially in Lahore where index reach at high level due to air pollution caused by heavy traffic and old technology brick kilns, the government aims to introduce electric cars to reduce harmful emissions.

He said that according to details in the initial phase of the CGPI, 19 cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Okara and Bahawalpur, have been selected to compete on certain issues of public interest. They will be judged on addressing issues such as safe drinking water, solid waste management, liquid waste management, city beautification, cleanliness of streets, usability of parks, tree plantation, total sanitation/hygiene and community participation. The minister urged the masses to join the government's efforts to make Pakistan clean & green.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019