LAHORE, May 20: District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood discussed on Thursday the Million-Dollar Pollution Control Programme with a three-member delegation of the Asian Development Bank. The ADB plans to provide financial assistance for pollution control programmes in Lahore, New Delhi and Dhaka.

The Nazim told the delegation, comprising Dr Pat Delaquil, Robert Anderson and Mrs Farzana Shah, that two-stroke engines were a major source of noise and smoke pollution here. More than 35,000 rickshaws and over 8,000 wagons were contributing a great deal to the city district's pollution, he added.

He said the federal government had imposed a ban on import of two-stroke engines and use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as motorvehicle fuel, but a large number of wagons and rickshaws could not be eliminated with a single stroke of pen because 90,000 families were earning their livelihood from this source.

He said the CDG had introduced a special silencer for reducing smoke and noise of the rickshaws. Mian Amer said up to 10 per cent subsidy on markup and concession in import duty were being offered for gradual replacement of wagons under a franchize scheme.

Some international companies had expressed interest in operating buses with environment friendly Euro-1 and Euro -2 engines in the provincial metropolis due to the efforts made by the CDG.

He informed the delegation that there was a marked decrease in the complaints about adulteration in mobil oil and petrol as a result of preventive measures.

Incentives were being offered for establishing CNG stations in the city for reducing the vehicular pollution, he said, adding more than 40 pumps had been sanctioned during the past two and a half years.