Punjab government to install 12 smog control towers: CM Naqvi

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to install 12 smog control towers in Lahore in an effort to tackle the city’s chronic air pollution problem. Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the announcement on Saturday saying that dealing with smog is a national responsibility and that every class of society needs to play its part.

Naqvi said that 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. He also urged people to wear masks and announced that a free registration drive for Chung Chi rickshaws will be held in the next 30 days, followed by a crackdown on unregistered rickshaws.

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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 percent of crop residue is burnt in Pakistan, compared to 90 percent in India. He said that farmers will be given modern machinery to destroy crop residues 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. – INP