LAHORE: The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has stated that it has worked to control smog in the first few months of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government and air quality index (AQI) remained ‘below the safe limits of 300’, and mostly between 100 to 150.

Spokesperson for the EPD Naseemur Rehman said the recent decline in air quality was because of brick kilns’ reopening.

“As kilns are functional again, a high AQI is to be expected,” he said.

“That does not mean we have shelved the issue. We’re pushing kiln owners to convert to the new zigzag technology in a couple of months. We will raise awareness among them, but after a certain time we’ll not tolerate old style kilns.” To add to smog control, the EPD closed down brick kilns in ‘smog months’ of November and December, 2018 in 11 districts falling in the red (danger) zone. These districts are Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Multan, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Narowal. He said in collaboration with the All Pakistan Brick Kilns Owners Association, the government has been promoting zigzag kilns and 100 kilns have been converted to the zigzag technology.

EPD Secretary Dr Zafar Nasrullah says the construction of conventional brick kilns has been banned in Punjab, while kiln owners will be given loans for environment friendly zigzag kilns.

“Health related smog cases reported by the Health Department were also very negligible in 2018,” he added.

The department held five meetings - three with the chief minister and two with the chief secretary on smog. He said the department was now monitoring the smog phenomenon with satellite imagery with the support of Met Department and SUPARCO.

“Our air quality monitoring stations (AQMS) have been revived,” he said. “These AQMS are installed at Met Office, Township and one near Wagah border in Lahore and one AQMS each in Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan. Moreover, Stack Emission Analyzers are also functioning now.” He clarified the AQI was being measured by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) labs and being updated daily on its website and app. He said earlier they challaned 18,860 smoke emitting vehicles with the assistance of the traffic police and imposed a Rs840,932 fine on them.

After the Punjab government imposed section144 on burning of crop stubble, solid waste, and rubber and plastic waste from October 1 to December 18, it improved the situation, he said. Also, more than 600 first information reports were lodged against violators. The situation of stubble burning is more controlled in Pakistan as compared to India. He said the smog issue was also being taken up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for making this a regional environmental issue.

Dr Nasrullah said that meetings were arranged with major industrial associations, including chambers of commerce and industry, Steel Mill Associations, All Pakistan Brick Kiln Owners Association, Cement Factories and Sugar Mills Owners’ Association, to formulate a policy for the compliance of the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards.

He said that scrubbers and other emission control devices were installed in about 70 of the steel furnaces of Sheikhupura and the similar devices were being installed in the factories of Lahore, Gujranwala and other districts.
Actions were also taken against violators under the Punjab Environmental Protection Act of 1997 (Amended 2012). Accordingly, 3201 notices have been issued to violators and 759 polluting factories were sealed. Similarly 4,210 notices were also issued to smoke emitting brick kilns. In October, a National Environment Commission on Air and Water Pollution was established, under the chairmanship of Dr Parvez Hassan on the orders of the Supreme Court. The EPD states that they succeeded to control air pollution in the case of cement factories in Kahun Valley, Chakwal, with the assistance of the Supreme Court, the officer added.

Also, major companies involved in vehicle manufacturing and imports were told to provide information regarding category, fuel, quantity, make, model, engine capacity, engine type and pollution control devices for environmental protection. At the same time, according to the Prime Minister’s Clean and Green Pakistan campaign, 984,744 trees were planted in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019