11 February 2005	Friday	01 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, Feb 10: The Punjab Environment Protection Department and City District Government, in collaboration with the task force on Lahore, is evolving an action plan to control vehicular pollution in the provincial metropolis.

The government was keen in taking measures to control air pollution, DCO Khalid Sultan told Dawn at a seminar on the vehicular pollution here on Thursday.

He said the air and noise pollution, water contamination and solid and municipal sewerage waste disposal were the major concerns of the government and it would also seek the Lahore High Court's help in this regard. The government would finalize the action plan after consulting all stakeholders, he said.

Speaking at the seminar which was organized by the CDG's environment department, Punjab Environment Minister Makhdoom Ashfaq Ahmed said the World Bank would provide financial assistance in environment-related projects in Lahore.

The minister said the Punjab government would not lift ban on the manufacturing of two-stroke engine rickshaws and provide loans to drivers in replacing them with four-stroke. The two-stroke vehicles were the main source of pollution in the city, he said.

He said that four-stroke environment-friendly rickshaws would be imported from India to help industrialists here for the manufacturing of such brand. He said a number of vehicle testing centres would also be established across the province to ensure vehicles' fitness.

District Nazim Mian Amir Mahmood said to reduce pollution in the city was one of the main priorities of the district government and it would involve private sector for the purpose. He said a composite plant had been established in collaboration with the private sector.

The participants suggested that the government should take immediate steps to improve transport planning, lay infrastructure for supply of CNG, introduce new CNG buses and re-powering existing buses into CNG.

Phasing out of diesel buses from urban localities should be completed in six months. They also suggested that registration of motorcycle rickshaws should be banned forthwith and subsequently be replaced with the CNG four-stroke three-wheelers.

They also recommended authorization of conversion workshops and penalty system for violation of norms by the designated workshops.

The participants also emphasized on coordination between federal, provincial and district EPAs. They also recommended increase in local financing for Air Quality Management (AQM) at district, provincial and national level and the launch of capacity building programme for stakeholders.

They further recommended application of "polluter pays" principle to discourage environmentally unsustainable behaviour and to generate income to support pro-AQM measures.

Soliciting support from foundations, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, preferably in the form of a support programme besides training for EPA staff and other government departments and NGOs were also recommended.

They suggested that drives should be launched to aware bus and three-wheeler operators and general public regarding health benefits and cost effectiveness of the environment-friendly projects.

A rickshaw union representative Asghar Khan said the government should not render drivers jobless in the name of pollution.