ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has stopped Punjab Oil Mills (POM) from operating production units as they were spewing dark emissions.

Besides, the units were being operated the approval of Pak-EPA.

Under the governments Clean and Green Programme, Pak-EPA had enhanced its field monitoring of pollution-emitting industries in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), said a press release issued here on Monday.

As part of environmental monitoring of industrial area, the Director General Pak-EPA Farzana Altaf Shah inspected industries of Humak, Kahuta Industrial Area of Islamabad along with her officials.

Heavy smoke was being observed emitting from stack of Punjab Oil Mills Limited, which manufactures Canolive.

Initially the DG and Pak-EPA staff were not allowed to enter the premises of POM by security guards, it added.

The General Manager of POM tried to physically stop the director general PAK-EPA so that she could not enter premises for inspection even in the presence of police provided to Pak-EPA under orders of the apex court.

Moreover, the security team and staff of POM used threatening language against DG and Pak-EPA team.

After provision of security by Sihala Police Station, Pak-EPA team ordered immediate stoppage of the POM production units.

An FIR was launched against Punjab Oil Mills limited in Sihala Police Station by Pak-EPA.

Previously, Punjab Oil Mills was visited thrice by a monitoring team of Pak-EPA but was resisted every time. The Punjab Oil Mills does not have an environmental approval.

Under the Clean and Green Programme, Pak-EPA was determined to make Islamabad Capital Territory clean and to bring the air pollution within limits of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).

Other industries that were also inspected by DG Pak-EPA in Humak included Sihala Slaughterhouse and Haideri Beverages.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019