RAWALPINDI: The local chapter of the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is without gadgets to check air pollution which has created smog in the Potohar region.

The provincial government has asked the environment watchdog to launch a campaign against industrial units polluting air and burning of garbage in the open to overcome the issue of smog. The EPA has been asked to register cases with the police against the air polluters.

Local officials said in the absence of any gadget to check air pollution, the environment department tried to implement the directives of the government by asking the citizens to register complaints with it about burning of tyres and solid waste in the open.

“The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have seen moderate smog, which is a combination of fog and smoke. Air pollution is the main cause behind it,” Dr Mohammad Hanif, Director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, told Dawn.

Punjab govt asks environment watchdog to register cases against industrial units polluting air

“There are chances of light rain in the middle of November in upper parts of the country which will convert the smog into fog.”

He said air pollution had created the current smog which was unusual in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

“This is the second year when the twin cities are experiencing smog. Earlier, some parts of Punjab faced the problem. The phenomenon is, however, not unusual in India and China where Delhi and Beijing have been facing it for six to seven years,” he said.

“The only solution to smog is to check air pollution in cities and adjoining areas. There is a difference between fog and smog as fog is harmless but smog is dangerous for human health,” he said.

When contacted, Deputy Director Environment Shahid Hasan said the EPA had banned burning of tyres and solid waste in the open to check air pollution.

“In Rawalpindi, there is no such factory which pollutes the environment,” he claimed, adding environment inspectors had been asked to conduct a survey in this regard.

In reply to a question, the official said EPA had sent a mobile team from Lahore to check the level of air pollution in the garrison city many years ago. He said a request would be sent to Lahore to send a mobile laboratory to the city once again.

According to a survey, in 2014 noise and air pollution in Rawalpindi was checked at Raja Bazaar, Committee Chowk (Murree Road) and Pirwadhai and found to be much above the national standards.

After this, the Punjab-EPA advised the local administration to plant more trees around the elevated metro bus track, Pirwadhai and Raja Bazaar.

However, no steps were taken in this regard.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that over 99 unregistered industrial units in the city had failed to adopt any measure to discharge their waste after treatment.

“These units are located in Dhoke Dalal, Khyaban-i-Sir Syed, Pirwadhai and Bagh Sardaran.”

He said there were 38 registered industrial units and 29 of them were in the cantonment areas.

“Marble factories in cantonment areas are the main cause of air pollution as the owners never adopted any measure during grinding and cutting process. As a result, dust and fume arising from these units pollute the air,” he said.

The official said a survey of industrial units was conducted in 2013 but no action was initiated against industrial units responsible for air pollution due to political pressure.

“Most of these units are making plastic shoes, bags and other products. Some of the units burn tyres and wood instead of using gas or other fuel.”

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2017