MULTAN - Speakers at a seminar pointed out on Wednesday that smog and environmental pollution posed serious threats to human lives besides delivering heavy losses to national economy, asking the government to impose ban on use of plastic bags and burning crops.
The Smog Pollution Seminar was organised by Soil and Environmental Sciences Department of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan (MNSUAM) to create awareness on hazards of pollution and smog.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ghulam Rasool, Director General of Pakistan Metrological Department Islamabad, disclosed that PIA and other airlines faced Rs39.5 billion loss due to smog in Pakistan last year out of which Rs13.5 billion was borne by the PIA alone. He added that the smog caused a serious surge in road accident besides leaving very negative impacts on crops. He said that the smog seriously harmed human health especially eyes and the Pakistan Metrological Department launched a number of initiatives to contain smog.
Addressing the seminar, Dr Rao Asif Ali, the Vice Chancellor of MNSUAM, said that the farmers of Pakistan had to bear the brunt of smog and environmental pollution and they faced massive financial losses in terms of destruction of their crops. He added that issues like use of plastic bags and burning of crops were major reasons behind environmental pollution besides industry and transport.
The VC declared that the students of MNSUAM would collect the data of pollutants with the collaboration of Metrological department which would help control the pollution. "It will also build the capacity of students to play an active role for keeping the environment clean," he added.
Chairman of the department Dr Tanveerul Haq said that the experts needed to sensitise the industry on environmental pollution issue. "We need to tell them that they have to grow trees equivalent to the pollution created by their industry to keep the environment clean," he added.
Dr Nazim Labar, chairman of Agronomy Department of Bahauddin Zakariya University, stressed the need for a strict action against pollutants and industry.
He added that the pollution monitoring system should be improved and environment friendly fuels should be used in vehicles.
Earlier, a poster competition on smog and pollution was also held at the varsity. Over 50 students and 15 teachers participated in the contest and the team led by Nimra Ali was declared first, Mahnoor Qadir and team second.