LAHORE: The Punjab government has been instructed to take action beyond paperwork by the Lahore High Court (LHC), which has noted that a long-term program is required to reduce smog.
Justice Shahid Karim said during Tuesday’s hearing of petitions pertaining to the environment that the federal government need to be involved as well in order to solve the problem that Punjab faces.
Ahmed Javed Qazi, the provincial secretary of the transportation department, and Khalid Ishaq, the advocate general for Punjab (AGP), also made an appearance in court.
The judge pointed out that the government’s existing strategy was inadequate, stating that if smog had shown up in September this year, it might do so in August of the following year.
Justice Karim noted that in order to address the threat posed by smog, a 10-year policy was required. Although the current administration outperformed its predecessors, he acknowledged that more needed to be done.
Additionally, he praised the work of Imran Hamid Sheikh, the director general of the Environment Protection Department, and urged other departments to do the same. He pointed out that the use of smuggled low-grade fuel in the transportation sector was responsible for 70–80% of environmental damage.
Citing Beijing as an example, where all businesses were relocated outside the city, the judge insisted on taking into account the future of the industries founded in Lahore. He claimed that although Beijing had put out proposals, the Punjab administration had not given them any thought.
The AGP responded that the court would be informed shortly about the difficulties encountered in implementing China’s smog recommendations.
He also informed the court that a budget and a policy had been developed to tackle smog. According to him, starting next year, residents may be advised to refrain from having weddings between October and December.
The judge did, however, propose that the government implement a one-dish policy and confine marriages to one event rather than three.
The government only took action after the court became aware of environmental risks, which Justice Karim regretted. To keep the situation under control, he warned, it might be necessary to halt large-scale construction projects in Lahore.
The judge said that even Speedo buses operated by the government produce a lot of smoke, let alone private transportation. He voiced his worries, predicting that the fog would last until January.
“The government needs to take note of this. The next year’s preparation needs to start right away,” Justice Karim noted, adding that the government was in charge of this and the court had no intention of getting involved.
The judge believed that addressing the problem of school buses alone may greatly lower emissions.
