Staff Reporter
Punjab government, under a formulated roadmap to combat smog, has decided to convert around 8000 brick kilns into zig-zag technology in the province.
The decision was taken in a meeting at Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Office here on Wednesday in which matters pertaining to pre-empting hazards of smog were reviewed. Presiding over the meeting, Provincial Minister for Industries, Trade and Information Mian Aslam Iqbal said that soft loans would be provided to brick-kiln owners to convert their brick-kilns on zigzag technology.
Provincial Minister for Environment Protection Muhammad Rizwan, Secretary Environment Protection Salman Ijaz, President All Pakistan Brick-kiln Association Shoaib Khan Niazi and officers concerned participated in the meeting.
It was also unanimously agreed to carve out roadmap with the consultation of brick-kiln owners for putting them on zigzag technology.
“We don’t want to take away employment by closing down brick-kilns rather the objective was to control smog effectively,” he added.
The minister said the PTI government was determined to provide new-generation pollution free environment and brick-kilns situated close to cities would be shifted to zigzag technology on priority basis.
Provincial Environment Minister Muhammad Rizwan apprised the participants that the department was vibrant and proactively working to cope with smog and eliminating its harmful effects.
