Daily Times

LAHORE: Scores of steel mills, which were shut down by the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) in the wake of smog that had engulfed the city in October last year, have resumed their operations with taking pre-emptive measures, Daily Times has learnt.

According to official record, over 300 steel mills units were operating in Lahore, mainly in northern part of the city, while the EPD had closed almost all the steel mills after they were found violating the environmental laws.

Sources said that a number of steel mills that were shut down by the EPD had resumed their operations without conforming to the relevant laws.

“The issue of steel mills violating environmental laws was not new, as the department had received several complaints to take action against them. In the past, a drive was launched against steel mills using substandard fuel and several mills were closed but they resumed operations after paying minor penalties,” added sources.

However, owners of the steel mills alleged that the Punjab government was politically victimising businessmen. Azizur Rehman Chan, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader who is also associated with the steel business, said that the government officials had sealed units without serving prior notices.

Following the talks between EPA officials and businessmen, the former allowed some of the units to resume operations but it strings attached – installation of web scrubbers at their plants.

Sources claimed that after taking permission to resume work, just a few steel mills complied with the conditions of the EPA while the rest started operations in violation of the law. They said that the department was helpless to take proper action as a number of steel mills are owned by political bigwigs.

An EPA official, seeking anonymity, told Daily Times many violators get relief by using their political links. He said that steel mills were using substandard fuel, which release pollutants such as sulphur dioxides, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other toxic gases. He said that the hazardous gases of the steel mills were the major cause of increasing cancer patients in the city.

A spokesman for the EPD said that the department had started revisiting the steel mills, which were closed a few months ago. He said that a strict action would be taken if they would be found violating the relevant laws.

Published in Daily Times, April 4^th 2018.