The Ministry of Climate Change has established a ‘Smog Control Room’ in Lahore to ensure regular monitoring of smog which causes health hazards to population in different areas of the province during Winter season (November to March).

The other objective of the Control Room was to have a constant check on smog Air Quality Index (AQI) in the province during coming days.

In a tweet, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam on Tuesday said the process to combat smog has been started. There would be a regular check on crop burning, transport and industrial emissions, brick kilns and cross border emissions which are the main reasons.

The SAPM said much-needed technology has been provided to farmers to help them avoid burning of paddy crop residue and instead convert the residue into organic fertilizer for boosting fertility of their farmlands.

He said technology was also being introduced across the country under government’s project for Mechanized Management of Rice Crop Residue for which Rs. 30 billion were being spent for disbursement of 50,000 units of rice straw shredder.

Another initiative is provision of Happy Seeder technology to help farmers stem the stubble burning which is one of the reason of smog in Winter.