Daily Times

LAHORE: Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir of the Lahore High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Punjab chief secretary directing him to submit a report on closure of brick kilns and industrial units established in residential areas without seeking no objection certificates.

The court also sought a report on closed factory units and those still operating.

The LHC also directed an additional advocate general to come up on November 19 with the compliance report and the steps taken to shut down brick kilns, steel furnaces.

The court was hearing a petition moved by a lungs cancer patient, Sheikh Salahuddin.

Counsel for Petitioner Sheraz Zaka said that the government was not serious about taking action against industrial units established in residential areas leading to alarming rise in smog. He submitted that it was an obligation to protect the citizens from the environmental degradation in the form of air and noise pollution.

He said that in 2017 then-chief Justice had held Punjab government responsible for not taking action against the smog. He submitted that the chief justice had declared health emergency and directed the government to frame a smog policy and implement it by constituting a smog commission.

He said that the secretary environment and the Punjab Environment Protection Department had failed to take action against commercial activities taking place in residential areas of Lahore and Gujranwala. He said that the entire Punjab was adversely affected by the smog.

He said that the reason behind smog was lack of enforcement of environmental laws and dysfunctional central laboratory in Lahore which was due to alleged negligence of Punjab Environmental Protection Department.

He said that the Punjab Environment Protection Department had failed to perform its statutory obligations and the federal government was flouting its international obligations under Paris Agreement 2015.

He requested that the provincial government and environmental protection agency should be asked whether the industrial activity taking place in the cities was being scrutinized under Pollution Charge Rules 2001. He also requested the court to inquire from authorities as to what remedial measures had been taken to address the prevailing weather condition arising from the toxic smog.

Published in Daily Times, November 13^th 2018.