LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday emphasized that dealing with smog is a national responsibility and that segment of society needs to play due role, saying the provincial government is going to install 12 smog control towers in Lahore to tackle chronic air pollution problem.
“The government is taking every step possible to deal with smog, including setting up a high-powered environmental commission and hiring experts for artificial rainfall”, CM Naqvi informed, urging people to wear masks.
He also announced that a month-long drive for free registration of quingqi rickshaws will be started, followed by a crackdown on unregistered rickshaws.
In addition, the government has banned the purchase of fuel-powered motorcycles and will only be buying electric bikes in the future. An environmental lab will also be established in Punjab for the first time, and checking of non-standard fuel has been accelerated in all districts, including Lahore. The police and transport department have been ordered to crack down on pumps selling substandard petrol.
Naqvi said that a team of Chinese experts who helped to eliminate smog in Beijing will soon visit Lahore, and that a special technical team from the Punjab government will travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday to study air pollution control measures in that country.
The caretaker chief minister also noted that 10% of crop residue is burnt in Pakistan, compared to 90% in India. He said that farmers will be given modern machinery to destroy crop residue in an effort to reduce air pollution.
Smart lockdowns are currently in effect in 10 districts of Punjab due to smog. Lahore has once again been ranked as the most polluted city in the world.
