LAHORE: The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) on Monday constituted six squads to carry out a survey of industrial units across Lahore to check if and how much these industries were contributing to environmental pollution.
A meeting was held in this regard at the EPD head office, under the chairmanship of Senior Adviser to Chief Minister on Food and Environment Manshaullah Butt and Environment Secretary Saeed Wahlah. All the EPD officials were also present during the meeting.Wahlah explained the squads had been constituted in view of increasing cases of environmental pollution and consequent health issues. He added that these squads would carry out surveys of all the industrial units and will submit reports accordingly.
The industries previously were issued environmental approvals with certain conditions to maintain the state of environment and follow the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).Saeed said that a special cell has also been established at EPD head office where all the squads will submit their survey reports and propose actions against polluters on a daily basis. Based on the nature of impacts that the industries were creating on the environment, the cell would decide legal actions under Section 16 of Punjab Environmental Protection (Amendment) Act, 2012.
Appreciating the EPD’s initiatives against polluters, Manshaullah said that environment-friendly practices would help improve the current state of environment, making it cleaner and more livable.The squads would be inspecting industries falling under eighteen different categories, including battery, chemical, chip/straw board, cold storage, electric furnace, electric transformers, foundry products, GI pipes, fertilisers, iron and steel re-rolling mills, marble industries, paints and varnishers, paper and paper board, pesticides and insecticides, poultry feed, solvent oil extraction tannery, textile processing and vegetable ghee and cooking oil.
The squads will conduct surveys in the following areas: Bund Road, Shahdara, Salamatpura, Ring Road, Mehmood Booti, Badami Bagh, Misri Shah, Northern Lahore, Beheni Road, Lakhodhair Road, Hudiara Drain, Bhobattian, Hallaki Road, Kacha Road, Charrer Drain, Satu Katla Drain, Raiwind Manga Road, GT Road (UET to BRB), Burki Road, Bedian Road, Ferozepur Road up to Laliani, Gulberg Industrial Estate, Multan Road, Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate, Sunder Industrial Estate, Raiwind Manga Road and Sunder Raiwind Road. The squad has been directed to finish the assignment within two weeks. – Dailytimes
