SIALKOT    -   Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khurram Niazi on Tuesday said that burning paddy residue would be strictly prohibited in the district to prevent smog. 

Announcements should be made in rural areas to inform the farm­ers. He expressed these views while addressing the meeting of district anti-smog committee.

Niazi said that campaign against smog-emitting vehicles and facto­ries should also be launched. The assistant commissioners will lead the campaign in their tehsils. 

The DC directed that assistant commissioner, along with the teams of environment department, should check factories and take action against the owners of smoke-emit­ting factories. He said that brick kilns operating without zigzag tech­nology in any area should be closed immediately.

Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary and traffic police should impose fine on smoke emit­ting vehicles, he added. 

The DC directed the Solid Waste Management Company (SWMC) Sialkot that garbage should not be burnt in any area.

The PHA must put focus on plantation for the beautification of city and control of air pollu­tion, he added. He said that the committees should be formed in rural areas consisting of revenue, local government and local ag­riculture officials that would in­form the farmers about the orders to prevent the burning of paddy residue.

The meeting was attended by Ad­ditional Deputy Commissioner Gen­eral (ADCG) Shahid Abbas, Assis­tant Commissioners (ACs) Maham Usman, M Sufian, Deputy Director of Agriculture Dr Sajjad Mehmood, officers of environment, traffic po­lice and other departments