Punjab government has decided to launch a massive crackdown against smoke emitting vehicles, old technology brick kilns and factories using tyre scrap for burning.
The decision was made on Friday in the maiden meeting of Chief Minister Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) on SMOG Control Monitoring Committee presided over by the Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht attended by Environmental Minister Muhammad Rizwan, Education Minister Murad Raas, and official concern of the different departments.
Hashim Jawan Bakht instructed the Excise and Taxation department to launch crackdown against smoke emitting vehicles while agriculture department should ensure the culmination of crops leftovers in the fields, Urban Unit will monitor the brick kilns and industries emitting hazardous smoke, besides improving the capacity building of the environment department.
He asked the excise department to end the life time token collection to take action against the misfit vehicles. He also asked the workshops to issue fitness certificates with maintenance and issue special sticker to enforce and ensure it.
The finance minister instructed the Safe City Authority to identify the vehicles plying without fitness stickers and no vehicle will be allow to come on road without fitness certificates and stickers.
Punjab Environment Minister Muhammad Rizwan stressed the need of round the year action and monitoring and reforms on environmental issues. He said the environment department should legislate separate laws for every segment and take action without any exemption against the smoke emitting vehicles.—INP
