BAHAWALPUR:A meeting of the District Smog Committee was held in the committee room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur Zahid Parvez Waraich.
The meeting reviewed the measures taken to eliminate smog in the district.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters Sumera Rabbani, Assistant Commissioner Bahawalpur City Anam Fatima, Assistant Commissioner Sadar Muhammad Tayyab, Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Hafiz Muhammad Shafiq, Assistant Director Environment Ansar Abbas, officers of related departments and assistant commissioners of other tehsils of the district were present in the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner said that measures should be taken to eliminate smog. Legal action should be taken in case of violation. He said that awareness should be raised among the landowners and farmers that the crop residues should be disposed of properly.
He said that the members of smog committees established at the tehsil level should work effectively. A smog control action plan has been formulated in the district. Farmers’ training is being organized so that the farmers can destroy the crop residue using the Rota-Wetter machine. Free face masks will be distributed to people in this regard. Kilns have been converted to zigzag technology. In case of violation, a fine will be imposed on the spot. The meeting was informed that from July 1 to October 12, the officers of the Environmental Protection Department inspected 260 kilns. FIR was registered against the owners of 24 kilns while 21 kilns were sealed and Rs 50,000 fine was imposed. As many as 630 vehicles were checked by the Transport Department from 1 July to 12 October and 95 smoke-emitting vehicles were fined Rs.63500. Department of Agriculture Extension provided information to the rice farmers and farmers about the proper disposal of crop residues. In this regard, farmer trainings are being organized to protect the environment from pollution.