Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has constituted an Environmental Protection Council, the first meeting of which was held at Darbar Hall of Civil Secretariat under the chair of Provincial Minister for Environment Begum Zakia Shahnawaz.
Environment Additional Secretary Zaman Wattoo gave a detailed presentation. He apprised that the Punjab Environmental Protection Council has been constituted under the Punjab Environmental Protection Act (EPA), 1997 to coordinate and supervise enforcement of the provisions of the Act under the chairmanship of the chief minister.
Environment Secretary Captain (retired) Saif Anjum proposed certain amendments in the Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997 (Amended 2012). The bill, titled ‘The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017’, was considered in the meeting of the Standing Committee on Environment Protection after approval of the chief minister and the provincial cabinet. It will now be presented before the Punjab Assembly.
Anjum also said that powers for environmental approval of some projects like petrol pumps, district level road schemes have been delegated to the divisional committees under the chairmanship of the divisional commissioners. Environmental Protection (Registration of Environmental Consultants) Regulations, 2017 have been notified. Under the regulations, a consultant registration advisory committee is also being constituted.
EPD Punjab with the consultancy support of the urban unit is in the process of capacity building and restructuring of EPA. Zakia Shahnawaz said that Punjab, particularly the areas around Lahore, faced the acute phenomenon of smog last year. EPD has taken a number of steps to prevent re-appearance of the smog. Recently, a meeting was held to stock take the measures taken to prevent the appearance of smog.
Instructions have been issued to the relevant departments/organisations to take immediate measures to control and prevent air pollution and smog in the Punjab. The agriculture department has been asked for the stoppage of stubble burning and crop residue through awareness raising campaign as well as punitive/legal action. Traffic Police has been instructed to take action against smoke emitting vehicles and to control traffic congestion.
Industrialists and brick kiln owners have been warned to stop the use of substandard fuel. Action has also been taken against the violators. Industrialists have been asked to install wet scrubbers and other pollution control devices. The Home Department has been requested to impose a ban on stubble burning and municipal solid waste burning.