ISLAMABAD: Air pollution in Punjab worsened after dry and cloudy weather with open garbage burning in Lahore and other major districts went uncontrolled.
Director General (DG) Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) Tanveer Ahmad Warraich said, “The main issue of air pollution and smog in Lahore city consists of vehicular emissions, industrial gaseous releases, particularly steel units, open garbage burning, and scrap burning.”
Talking to APP, the EPD chief said that the fifth season of smog had struck Lahore and other parts of the country and measures needed to be taken to protect people from its hazards.
Trans-boundary pollution along with indigenous pollution and smoke-producing elements had aggravated the situation, he added.
He said in Lahore alone there were an estimated 2,700 scrap burning units who regularly burn different substances to extract raw material whereas over 400 steel manufacturing units were operating with very few having wet scrubbers installed to curb dark emissions.
To a question, he said there was Section 144 imposed on open household garbage burning in Lahore where direct First Information Report (FIR) was to be issued against any culprit found violating the law.
Penalizing people burning garbage on the spot was a difficult task due to the paucity of resources and it was also not possible to mitigate the smog risks without public cooperation.
Responding to another query, he said that rice crop stubble burning was done in Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot divisions where rice crop husks were burnt after the harvest.
“Unless we convince farmers to adopt the happy seeder technology that removes the rice husks and sows wheat seeds automatically, no change in stubble burning can be achieved. We have to give incentives and subsidies to rice farmers to shift to the latest technology,” he added.
DG EPD Tanveer Ahmad Warraich said trans-boundary pollution had major share in the smog shrouding Lahore but there was a need to realize the local sources of pollution that were persistently marring the ambiance of the Punjab capital.
He went on to mention that mass awareness on hazards of open garbage burning were necessary as it was rampant both in rural and urban areas. “People burn garbage at different timings with scattered locations and EPD staff could not manage to reach every spot and fine the culprit. However, public awareness and education could only help reduce the risk,” he added.
