LAHORE: The district administration on Thursday demolished four pyrolysis plants and sealed 14 others in different areas of the city for causing pollution.

Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman has formed five anti-smog squads after Lahore topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world.

The squad will visit industries and take action, such as imposing fines, on violators. The environmental protection department would head the squad and representatives from police, Wasa, Lesco, and the municipal corporation will also be the members of the teams.

Anti-smog squads visited the different areas of the city and sealed pyrolysis plants, brick kilns and other industrial units causing pollution.

According to the district administration, there are 18 pyrolysis plants in the city and these plants melt plastic, used tyres, iron and other used items with hydrocarbons.

The anti-smog sealed these plants and stopped them from working. However, four of the plants had broken the seals on their own and started working.

On the directions of Deputy Commissioner Umar Sher Chattha, city districts teams raided the working plants and demolished their structure for unsealing the plant without permission and erecting different structures without approving maps from authorities and causing pollution.

Assistant Commissioner Tehnit Bukhari also carried out the operation in the last two days and demolished MS Shoaib Pyrolysis, MS Tayyab Pyrolysis, MSRR Pyrolysis and MS Haroon Farooqi Pyrolysis.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2021