Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the Punjab government has initiated a comprehensive effort to combat pollution and enhance environmental quality. In a statement on Earth Day, she said, “Today marks the launch of the “No to Plastic” campaign with a complete ban on plastic bag usage slated for June 5 to foster a cleaner environment.”
She highlighted that under the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a historic package of environmentally-friendly policies was being prepared. “Modern machinery is being provided to farmers to address crop residue burning, while the ban on plastic bags aims to eliminate smog and protect public health from diseases such as lung cancer,” she added and emphasized ongoing efforts to reduce industrial pollution, carbon emissions and deploy modern technology to purify the air. She expressed confidence that with the initiatives spearheaded by the CM, Punjab would set a shining example of environmental stewardship in the coming years. The senior minister announced awareness campaigns in educational institutions to educate students about the importance of environmental preservation and the adverse effects of pollution. In addition to launching Punjabs largest tree plantation drive, the government is introducing electric buses and a modern air quality monitoring system, she noted. She underscored the integration of environmental studies into the education curriculum to nurture a culture of environmental consciousness among students. Furthermore, efforts are underway to safeguard forests and wildlife, with initiatives such as wildlife mapping and accelerated campaigns for forest conservation, the senior minister added.
Experts from Agriculture University have highlighted that Pakistan, including Sindh was facing significant challenges such as pollution, climate change and salinity in water. They emphasized that plastic pollution poses continuous harm to the environment, humans and animals. They made these remarks on the occasion of World Earth Day, with theme “Planet vs. Plastic”, jointly organized by the Faculty of Crop Production and ORIC, in collaboration with UI Greenmatric University Ranking Initiative here Monday. An awareness walk was also organized from the Crop Production faculty, which was attended by a large number of faculty, students and members of civil society. Addressing the event, Dean Dr. Inayatullah Rajper mentioned that despite of making various efforts, a large portion of plastic enters the land, waterways, and oceans every year, causing adverse effects on the environment, water, land and human and animal’s health. He stated that Pakistan was also a major producer of plastic globally and ensuring implementation of existing laws to control its usage is crucial. Ghulam Mohiuddin Qureshi, Registrar of Sindh Agriculture University, pointed out that Sindh was the most affected province by plastic pollution and diseases were also spreading due to plastic contamination and its use in food items. Dr. Tanveer Fatima Miano, Director ORIC, emphasized that climate change, reduction in forest area, conversion of agricultural land into residential areas and coastal erosion were significant challenges.
