LAHORE: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) held a meeting on Tuesday to review measures taken regarding anti-smog operations.

Punjab Relief Commissioner Naveed Haider Shirazi chaired the meeting while PDMA Director General (DG) Faisal Farid, Revenue Secretary Mehr Shafqatullah Mushtaq, representatives from transport, district administration, urban unit, traffic police, directors of PDMA and line departments were present.

Mr Shirazi said that PDMA would lead line departments to eliminate smog in light of Lahore High Court orders. He said short-term and long-term plans, the number of vehicles and lists of teams should be submitted to the PDMA.

He said the help of citizens should also be sought for the elimination of smog, and the process of preparing the app for citizens is going on. Citizens will be able to use the app to file complaints about factories and public vehicles that pollute the environment.

He said the environment and other line departments should work diligently and increase operations to eliminate smog.

Mr Sherazi said old vehicles were causing environment pollution; operations against smoke-emitting vehicles should be accelerated, and the traffic police should also hold a crackdown with the help of PSCA cameras.

He said the transport department should share the fitness certificates of the vehicles with the traffic police, and concerned agencies should deal strictly with those who cause environmental pollution; no one should be spared.

He said that actions should be expedited, and the ongoing construction work on the roads of Lahore should be completed as soon as possible so that there is no problem of traffic jams on any road.

He said all departments should ensure close liaison and do their best to eliminate smog, and the orders of the Lahore High Court will be followed, along with a zero-tolerance policy against the burning of crop residue, garbage, and kilns working without zigzagging technology.

He said smoke control devices should be installed in factories immediately, and indiscriminate action should be taken against violations.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023