The provincial capital has the highest number of smoke-emitting vehicles plying on its roads in Punjab, aggravating environment pollution despite the traffic police’s efforts to protect the citizens from the hazard.
The Punjab Environment Protection Department has compiled a district-wise report of the past four months, showing that then highest number of smoke-emitting vehicles is found on Lahore’s roads.
According to the report, 5,113 smoke-emitting vehicles were fined during the period in Lahore. Multan ranked second and Faisalabad third among the cities of the province affected by vehicular smoke.
The report showed that the emission of smoke from vehicles was the most serious environmental problem in the big cities of Punjab, where the traffic police and district governments appear helpless to stop vehicles violating the safety standards from coming onto the roads.
The Lahore High Court had recently ordered impounding of the smoke-emitting vehicles while hearing a petition seeking remedial steps against smog in Punjab.
LHC Justice Shahid Karim had ordered the traffic police to launch action against smoke-emitting vehicles and also inform the departments concerned about the issue. According to officials, the use of substandard engines is a major reason of smog and environmental pollution in Lahore and other big cities. Several incidents of fire breaking out on roads during the summer season have also been attributed to the substandard engines. The report of the environment department described the action taken against the smoke-emitting vehicles at the district level. It covered data collected in this regard during the past four months. It showed that Lahore was at the top of the list, where 5,113 vehicles were found emitting smoke during the period and fined. Multan district followed with 2,520 vehicles fined and Faisalabad with 2,047.
