Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has forecast smog with variable intensity to engulf Lahore during the first week of November.
In this regard, Secretary EPD, Zahid Hussain, said that smog has been developing in Lahore in the first week of November since 2017 and EPD anticipates smog in the provincial capital at the same time this year as well.
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He added that just like each year, EPD has taken different measures to contain the spread of smog before the onset of winters.
It has also imposed a ban on the following activities to curb smog from disrupting everyday life.
- Burning of crop residues
- Heavy Smoke Emitting Vehicles
- Operations of any industry that doesn’t follow emissions control
- Stone crushers operating without wet scrubbers
- Burning of solid waste, rubber, and/or plastic
- Sub-standard fuel sales and use
- Any encroachment that disturbs the traffic flow on public roads
- Any parking that disturbs the traffic flow on public roads
- Any activity that contributes to heavy dust
- Uncovered dumping/storage of construction material
- Uncovered transportation of construction material
- Operations of any brick kiln that is not built on/converted to modern/zigzag methodology
- Any unauthorized activity that contributes to smog
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Earlier this month, the Punjab government declared smog as a disaster and tasked Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to deal with smog.
It must be recalled that the World Air Quality 2019 report, published jointly by IQAir Group and Greenpeace, had declared Pakistan as the 2nd most polluted country last year.
