LAHORE – The Punjab government has decided to implement the revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for emission control in open cooking stations/barbecue grills as Lahore’s average Air Quality Index surpassed hazardous level.
On Wednesday, Lahore’s average AQI was recorded at 596. AQI of 400-500 is considered hazardous.
As per the notification issued by Punjab Environmental Protection (EPA) Director General Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh, the SOPs will be implemented in Lahore district from November 20, 2024 to January 31, 2025.
The Health Advisory System for Critical Air Pollution Events (HAS-CAPES) has been notified on 13.12.2022 under which the 1st meeting of Provincial CAPEs Committee (PCC) was held on 21.10.2024 which declared that Critical Air Pollution Event has taken place in Lahore, keeping In view the current high levels of Air Quality Index (AQ1).
“The outdoor cooking stations/ barbecue grills, which use coal, wood or charcoal as heating source, shall be equipped with a hood containing an exhaust fan of adequate capacity to capture and exhaust smoke, fumes, and airborne particles in compliance with Punjab Environment Quality Standards (PEQS)”, the notification reads.
The hood shall include filters designed to prevent the release of grease-laden particles and smoke into the atmosphere. Where the use of filters alone is insufficient to achieve compliance with PEQS, an additional wet scrubber or wet showering system shall be installed.
“I Dr mran Hamid Sheikh, PAS, Director General, Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab in exercise of the powers conferred upon me U/S 6(1) (t) of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997, do hereby order that no restaurant/hotel/shop which has placed its cooking station/barbecue grill in outdoor which use coal, wood or charcoal as heating source, shall operate such outdoor cooking stations/ barbecue grills unless the SOPs are implemented in letter and spirit”, reads the notification.
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