LAHORE, June 4: Pakistan is observing the World Environment Day on Wednesday, ill-equipped and less motivated to control pollution of all kind.

Rallies, walks and seminars will be organized in many cities to highlight the importance of clean environment. But, like the previous years, the issue is likely to go down on the priority list of even those deputed to control pollution in the country.

The government has powers to punish those causing pollution under the Environment Protection Act, 1977. But it has so far established two tribunals to try the violators.

The tribunal in Karachi covers entire Sindh and Balochistan and the one in Lahore the Punjab and the NWFP.

The Punjab government has its separate Environment Protection Department (EPD) which is the smallest, having offices in only 14 of the total 34 districts.

It has only one testing laboratory in Lahore which its own officials say is inadequate. “It will take some time to start playing its full role,” they say.

The department plans to establish laboratories in small cities but finds it hard due to lack of funds and manpower.

The major duty it has been performing is to ask other departments and agencies like the district governments to prevent pollution of all kind. “It is playing the role of a mere regulator as it cannot itself directly check pollution,” they say.

The largest threat to the environment is being posed by the industries discharging their effluent untreated on public places and in water channels.

Officials in the EPD admit that there is no mechanism to force them install treatment plants which are costly. Of the 67,000 industrial units in the Punjab, around 25 have so far installed the treatment plants which is a requirement under the Environment Protection Act, 1977.

The officials say the department has powers under the law to shut down the units not installing the treatment plants. But it has been avoiding action as it would mean closure of the entire industry.

Last year, the department had closed down two units for failing to install the plants.

The officials say every unit will have to install the plant by the year 2006 as the World Trade Organization has linked it to the exports. Those failing to install them will not be able to export their products after 2006, they say.

Meanwhile, the environment day will be observed mainly in Lahore where the district government is arranging a seminar at Alhamra.

Major motor companies, in collaboration with the EPD, will offer free tuning of the vehicles to the people in many cities of the province, including Lahore, besides giving them tips on fuel consumption and smoke control.

On Tuesday, the EPD arranged a seminar at a girls college. It was presided over by Finance Minister Tariq Hameed who delivered a routine speech.

EPD secretary Brig Riaz Bashir (retired) announced some steps for the control of industrial and environmental pollution. He announced that a ban was being imposed on the burning of solid waste by the people and the civic agencies.

The secretary said display stations would be set up in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan with the help of the World Bank, to display the level of pollution in the air at busy squares.

A special force had been created on the directives of the governor to check quality of subsoil water all over the province. It would collect samples to detect unhygienic content.

The force had been created in view of the reports of polluted underground water causing diseases in areas like Manga Mandi.

The secretary reportedly said the government was considering to levy pollution charge on industries failing to install treatment plants from July 1.

However, he said, all industrial units would be given the option of monitoring their pollutants for the determination of the fine.

When asked the officials concerned said further steps would also be taken to force industrial units install treatment plants. At present majority of them were throwing their waste water in rivers and canals untreated.

“The plan to levy the pollution charge is the first step forward. It would at least realize the industrialists of the importance of following the law,” they say.