KARACHI: Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) on Friday decided to immediately resume vehicular emission testing activity in major cities of Sindh that is Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur with the assistance of Sindh Traffic Police.
The decision to this effect was made in a meeting chaired by Director General SEPA Naeem Ahmed Mughal at SEPA Complex here.
It was decided in the meeting that monitoring activity on installed heavy generators placed on footpaths or rooftops of commercial areas also be simultaneously carried out in each district.
Meanwhile, co-ordination will be ensured with all land-owning organizations and District Management, KMC to take immediate actions against dust pollution on major roads to carryout sweeping, sprinkling activities and preparation of traffic management plans.
It was decided that district incharges of SEPA will check all air pollution related issues, including burning of solid waste and control of smoke emanating from BBQ restaurants which release heavy amounts of carbon mono-oxide. Only those BBQ outlets would be allowed to operate having installed smoke catching equipment.
All stakeholders including Port authorities, ABAD, Transport Association, Industries department, transport department, traffic police, NHA, Motorway police will be engaged to provide support to SEPA for controlling air pollution in the city.
Stern action will also be ensured on all industrial and manufacturing units operating boilers on coal and other fossil fuels releasing pollutants in the environment causing significant contributing towards degradation of air quality.
Efforts would be initiated to reduce pulmonary/respiratory lung diseases being faced by citizens of the city. Moreover, all public and private sector organizations would be engaged and motivated to increase green cover through tree plantation drives to check on air pollution and climate change issues in the city.
The strategy has been designed consequent to air quality monitoring held earlier at around 100 locations in the city which reflects alarming levels of PM2.5 in air quality.