KARACHI: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), taking action against polluting vehicles, conducted checking of vehicles on busy roads of Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi on Friday.

According to a press release, a total of 109 small and large vehicles were inspected in the three major cities of the province during which the amount of smoke and toxicity emitted from them was inspected with the help of latest equipment.

During the inspection, out of 109 vehicles, 36 vehicles were found to be emitting smoke beyond the prescribed limits and a total fine of Rs36,000 was imposed on them through the traffic police.

Proportionately, 30 per cent of the vehicles checked were found to be spreading pollution mainly due to substandard fuel consumption and improper maintenance of vehicle engines and silencers.

The operation was overseen by deputy director instrument engineering Sada Bakhsh while field teams from Sepa’s regional offices in the three cities took part in the operation.

Sepa urges vehicle owners to keep their vehicles tuned regularly and keep their engine and silencer in good condition so that their emissions do not exceed the provincial environmental standards.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2021