MULTAN - The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) President Mian Bakhtawar Tanveer Sheikh suggested on Friday that the government should introduce the “Clean Air Act” for elimination of smog.
In a statement issued here, he said that due to the current weather conditions, the intensification of smog was not only affecting public health and business activities but also having a negative impact on the health and education of children.
He explained that smog was severely disrupting industrial activities and business operations while road closures were causing hindrances in business transactions, and industries are facing difficulties in receiving raw materials and delivering products. The MCCI president appealed to the government, private institutions, and the public to take immediate and effective measures to control smog. He urged the government to take serious action to address factors like industrial emissions, vehicle exhausts, and the burning of crop residue, similar to the measures adopted by countries such as China, the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Japan to control smog.
Bakthawar stressed the need for private institutions and the public to adopt eco-friendly practices and suggested planting trees in the city’s surrounding areas on a large scale, reducing the number of vehicles, improving fuel quality, immediately banning the burning of tires and coal, imposing penalties for cutting trees, and ensuring that government vehicles, especially public transport, are maintained in good condition to avoid contributing to environmental pollution.
“We all need to collectively take responsibility to address this critical issue, so that our environment remains safe, public health is not compromised, children’s education is not hindered, and business activities can continue without disruption,” he concluded.