LAHORE: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) has directed the industries causing air pollution to install emission control systems before the start of the smog season.

Sources in the department told Dawn that a meeting, presided over by Secretary Environment Zahid Hussain, issued directions that issue of air pollution should be treated on a priority basis and field officers of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) be assigned a special task to immediately take measures for installation of emission control system scrubbers at all steel furnaces, steel mills, boilers and other such places before start of smog season this year. The secretary further directed the officers to ask the field officials to contact industrialists well in time so that better results might be achieved this year as compared to the previous year.

A senior EPD official, Naseemur Rehman, briefed the meeting on the measures taken last year to control smog.

According to the minutes of the meeting, about 300 steel mills are operating in Lahore, especially on its northern side. About 32 big and 68 small steel furnaces are also operational besides 161 brick kilns and hundreds of boilers installed in different industrial units. Out of 300 steel mills, scrubbers have been installed at more than 198 units. Similarly, out of 32 big steel furnaces, scrubbers (emission control systems) have been installed at more than 22 units. However, small steel furnaces are a major problem with reference to air pollution.

In Sheikhupura district, 34 steel furnaces are working. Dry scrubbers have been installed in more than 25. In Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and other major districts, measures have been taken to control emissions. The environment commission, headed by Dr Parvez Hassan and Judicial Water Commission, headed by retired Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi, are working very closely with the EPD to address this issue.

The meeting was informed that a smog action plan had been prepared and tasks like control on vehicular pollution and stubble burning had been assigned to the departments concerned. Better results were achieved during the last few years. Old brick kilns were converted to zigzag methodology with very active support of Shoaib Khan Niazi, president All Pakistan Brick Kilns Owners Association.

The meeting was told that Punjab had been experiencing periods of low visibility due to fog, mist and smog from the months of October to January each year. In recent years, the situation deteriorated, causing burning of eyes and foul smell. Data showed that smog was a regional phenomenon covering large areas of the South Asia from Delhi to Faisalabad and beyond. The smog phenomenon was experienced in the Punjab in general and central Punjab from October to November but last year it happened in the months of January and February.

The EPD and other departments took action against the sources contributing to smog like industries, vehicles and brick kilns. The meeting was told that smog phenomenon was not local as trans-border pollution also played a major role in it. Massive stubble burning on the Indian side and coal-fired thermal power stations in Rajasthan of India contributed significantly to it. The east-to-west wind direction during the early winter usually caused smog in Pakistan during the period.

The meeting stressed that there was a dire need to hold dialogue at the highest diplomatic level to control massive stubble burning on the Indian side, sources said.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2021