Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday submitted a policy to the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding steps to curb pollution and smog.

A provincial law officer, on behalf of the provincial government, submitted the policy to LHC Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Mansoor Ali Shah who was hearing petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Lahore president Barrister Walid Iqbal and others in connection a spell of thick smog that had engulfed Lahore and other parts of the province for many days, affecting people, especially children, during last winter.

The law officer informed the court that the Punjab chief minister had approved the smog policy. He submitted that the policy underlined the need for planned urban and industrial developments, besides greening of industrial processes to curb smog. “The policy also suggests that the smog was a regional phenomena and the federal government should take up the matter with India,” he added.

But, counsel for petitioner Sheraz Zaka pointed out that the staff deployed in order to implement environmental laws and multilateral agreements had not been regularised despite the LHC’s order. He said that the government had created a misconception that the smog had transpired due to burning of agricultural waste in Indian Punjab.

He contended that the reason behind the smog was lack of enforcement of environmental laws, and dysfunctional central laboratory in Lahore. He said that the government had not taken adequate measures to raise awareness against smog amongst the public. He said that it was the Punjab government’s failure to control rampant industrialisation in urban areas that was the main reason behind the dense smog.

He said that the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency had also failed to perform its statutory obligations and enforce pollution charge rules, and the federal government was flouting its international obligations under Paris Agreement 2015.

He contended that even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s testing laboratory was not functioning. He requested the court that the provincial government and environmental protection agency be asked whether the industrial activity taking place in the city was being scrutinised under Pollution Charge Rules 2001 or the agency was performing its statutory obligations.

However, the chief justice adjourned the matter till April 24, and directed the office to fix all the interconnected petitions regarding regularisation of staff along with the petition on the next date of hearing.

The petitioners had expressed concern over weather condition of smog in parts of Punjab, in November 2016, and submitted that it had inherent health hazards like breathing ailments and eye infection. They submitted that increased industrial activity and urbanisation were major causes of pollution in the city. They pleaded the court to inquire from respondents regarding remedial measures taken to curb smog effects.