January 09, 2007	Tuesday	Zilhaj 18, 1427

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LAHORE, Jan 8: The environment department has planned a massive campaign against pressure horns, smoke-emitting vehicles and transportation of soil and sand in uncovered trucks or trolleys in six major cities of Punjab.

It has also decided to promote environment clubs and societies at colleges and measures to educate school children about the issue.

Officials say a drive against use of pressure horns in buses on intra-city routes, unnecessary honking by wagon drivers, smoke-emitting buses and rickshaws and uncovered vehicles carrying soil or sand will be initiated from Jan 15.

A meeting held on Monday with environment minister Dr Anjum Amjad in the chair decided to form three squads for Lahore, two for Faisalabad and one each for Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan and Sargodha to check such practices.

Secretaries of environment and transport departments, and Regional Transport Authority and the Lahore traffic SP attended the meeting.

In the first week of the drive, the squads comprising inspectors of environment, transport, traffic police, besides motor vehicle examiners, would issue warnings to owners of vehicles violating the laws and collect their documents, the officials said.

The documents would be returned to the owners in case they got their vehicles fixed within a week, otherwise they would be fined, they added.

However, they said, no such concession would be given to violators of environment laws during the second week of the campaign when they would be prosecuted under sections 13, 14 and 19 of the Environment Act.

The fitness certificates of commercial transport would also be suspended in case of violation, they added.

The officials claimed that the certificates would be restored only after the faulty vehicles were fixed.

Under yet another decision, the department has written to all district governments in the province to launch special campaigns against adulteration of petroleum products.

Dr Amjad is also meeting federal environment authorities on Tuesday (today) to discuss amendments to laws to make punitive action against violators more stringent, sources say.

As a part of the campaign, the environment deputy-directors and traffic police officers concerned will deliver lectures at schools to highlight the environment issues and road safety measures, they add.

Environment Director Dr Shagufta Shahjehan says various educational institutions are also being involved in the drive as faculties of Punjab University, Government College University, FC College, Lahore College for Women, College of Home Economics etc are being invited for a brainstorming session on the issue on Jan 10.

The meeting will chalk out a strategy for promoting awareness regarding environmental issues through setting up clubs and societies in educational institutions, she says.

The effort will be coupled with a vigorous awareness campaign to be launched through electronic media, she adds.

Teachers and students of various educational institutions will also be invited to workshops for their capacity building, she says.

The first such workshop will be held at a hotel on The Mall on Jan 13.