LAKKI MARWAT: The wildlife department on Monday seized red-legged partridges commonly known as chakors from a passenger bus on the Indus Highway near Darra Pezu town here.

District forest officer Khan Malook Khan told reporters that after receiving credible information about the possible bid to smuggle chakors, the department began searching vehicles at Wanda Banochi checkpoint on the Bannu-DI Khan portion of the busy Indus Highway and seized the precious birds.

He said the department’s employees intercepted a bus bound for Bannu from Quetta and recovered 31 red-legged partridges from the hidden cavities of the public transport vehicle.

The DFO said chakors were supposed to be delivered in Bannu, where their demand was high as the people keep them as pets at home.

He said bird smuggler Inayatullah, a resident of Bannu, was arrested and a case was registered against him.

Mr Khan Malook said the red-legged partridge was not sold on the market due to the strict vigilance of the wildlife department.

Also in the day, a private cement company inaugurated its fifth Waste Heat Recovery Unit in Pezu town of the district.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the company’s CEO, Mohammad Ali Tabba, and other senior management of the company.

Under the project, two cement production lines with a daily output of 2,400 tons were used, which will offer an installed power of 10 megawatts.

Previously, the factory had four waste heat recovery plants, two in Pezu and two at Karachi plant.

The fifth plant became operational in collaboration with a Chinese energy conservation company.

Mr Tabba said the company was trying to reduce energy consumption and improve environment.

He said the WHR plant had not only significantly reduced cost by co-generating electricity and that it also helped lower dust emissions and environmental effluents and thus, having a positive impact on the atmosphere.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2017