LAHORE: Punjab Environmental Protection Council has been reconstituted by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif with its first meeting held late on Friday here in the Civil Secretariat.

It was presided over by Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Minister for Environment, Punjab.

During the meeting, the minister said Punjab, particularly the areas around Lahore, had faced a serious issue of smog last year. This time, she said the EPD had taken a number of steps to prevent reappearance of smog.

With reference to a recent meeting held on October 17 in EPD Punjab on prevention of smog, instructions had already been issued to the relevant departments and organisations.

She said the agriculture department had been asked for the stoppage of stubble and crop residues burning through awareness raising campaign as well as punitive and legal action. Besides this, traffic police had also been instructed to take action against smoke emitting vehicles and to control traffic congestion.

She said the industry and brick kiln owners had also been warned against using substandard fuel, adding that action was being taken against the violators.

Industrialists had been asked to install wet scrubbers and other pollution control devices. Meanwhile, home department had been requested to impose a ban on stubble and municipal solid waste burning, she said.

The council endorsed and approved the Smog Policy.

Additional Secretary Zaman Wattoo, in his detailed presentation told the meeting that the Environmental Protection Council (EPC) had been constituted under Section 3 of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997 (amended 2012) to coordinate and supervise enforcement of the provisions of the Act under Punjab chief minister (or a person nominated by CM).

He said Section 4(1) of the PEP Act envisages the functions and powers to the council to coordinate and supervise enforcement of the provisions of this Act, approval of comprehensive environmental policies and the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards etc.

Environment Secretary Saif Anjum in his briefing said the EPD had proposed certain amendments in the PEP Act 1997 (Amended 2012).

The bill titled, ‘The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017’, was considered by a standing committee on October 4, with the approval of the CM and his cabinet. It would now be presented before the Punjab Assembly. He added that powers for environmental impact approval for projects like petrol pumps, district level road schemes etc. had been delegated to divisional committees headed by commissioners.

Environmental Protection (Registration of Environmental Consultants)Regulations, 2017 have been notified.

Under the Regulations, a consultant registration advisory committee is also being constituted. EPD Punjab, with the consultancy support of the Urban Unit, is in the process of capacity building and restructuring of the EPA.

Tehmina Saeed (LCCI), Barrister Anjum Javed, Dr Ghulam Abbas (UET), Dr Kausar Jamal Cheema, Dr Tauqeer, president of Consumer Forum, Tauqeer Qureshi, Mr Nasimur Rehman Shah and other council members attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2017