HYDERABAD, Feb 22: The district council on Thursday called for a gradual replacement of smoke-emitting mini cabs, rickshaws and donkey carts with CNG-rickshaws and expressed concern that poisonous smoke emanating from unfit vehicles was not only adding to environmental and noise pollution but also causing different ailments among people.

Convenor Zafar Rajput combined three identical resolutions for discussion in the session which had to be adjourned abruptly for Monday when a member Ishtiaq Ahmed Rajput complained of chest pains and had to be rushed to hospital.

Resolutions put forward by Q. Mohammad Hakim, Raeesa Begum and Parveen Akhtar Lodhi pointed out that number of smoke-emitting vehicles was on the rise in the city. "Route permits and registration of all the vehicles that have outlived their utility should be cancelled and challaned," one resolution read.

The members said that poisonous smoke was causing asthma and urged the authorities concerned to make it binding on the drivers of mini taxis to install silencers in their vehicles to muffle the noise.

Parveen Lodhi said that the students' uniforms got blackened by the smoke as they waited at bus stops and people in growing numbers were becoming patients of cancer, TB and other dangerous diseases.

Q. Mohammad Hakim said that according to safe estimates there were around 20,000 rickshaws and 4,000 mini taxis in the city and none was fit to take the road. The two vehicles were largely responsible for pollution in the city, he said.

He proposed that the district government in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan should help the owners replace their vehicles with CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles.

He opposed outright cancellation of registration of licenses and said that the department concerned should carry out checks of the vehicles' fitness on a regular basis and make the renewal of registration subject to fitness.

District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Office Superintendent Nisar Memon informed the session that the government had banned two-stroke motor cab rickshaws in the province since June 30 last year and the existing ones would be phased out by conversion/replacement with 4-stroke engine motor cab rickshaws by June 30, 2007. The buses route permits had been changed in the city, he added.

Hussain Bux Hussaini said that 80 per cent of drivers plying vehicles on the roads did not possess driving licences, which often resulted in accidents, while police traditionally colluded with criminals.

Mehboob Abro called for stepping up the pace of development works because he said the dust on the roads was causing breathing problems to pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Zahida Memon said that besides smoke-emitting vehicles movement of donkey-carts should also be checked and they should be replaced with CNG vehicles. She said that the animals’ excreta mixed with dust on the roads after getting dried was carried on air into food items being sold on roadsides, which people consumed carelessly.

As Mohammad Ashraf stood up to speak on the resolution a member Ishtiaq Rajput complained of pain in the chest and had to be rushed to hospital after the convenor adjourned the session till Monday.