The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday called for the Punjab government to devise a long-term policy to control smog, stressing the current response was insufficient.
Continuing hearings into years-pending petitions related to smog, Justice Shahid Karim said the issue was not restricted to Punjab alone and suggested approaching the federal government for a national response to the issue of air pollution. He noted that smog had commenced in September this year and could start in August next year if urgent action were not taken.
Stressing on the need for a 10-year policy, he remarked that the incumbent provincial government’s response was better than that of its predecessors, but stressed more work was required. He specifically appreciated the work of Environment Protection Department Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh and urged the entire government to work in the same manner. He noted the transport sector caused 70-80 percent of environmental pollution due to the use of smuggled low-grade fuel.
At this, Advocate General for Punjab (AGP) Khalid Ishaq said the government had formed a task force in all districts to deal with the smog. “Since Nov. 9, the government has locked [smoke-emitting] 100 buses,” he maintained.
The judge also urged the government to review the presence of polluting industries within Lahore, referring to Beijing, which shifted all industries outside the city to tackle its smog problem. In response, the AGP said there were challenges in the execution of China’s suggestions on smog, adding the court would be apprised of the matter soon. He also maintained the government had devised a long-term policy to tackle smog and allocated a budget for it.
From next year, he said, citizens could be asked to avoid holding weddings from October to December. To this, the judge said the government could impose restrictions on weddings, limiting them to one event instead of three, alongside a one-dish policy, rather than banning them entirely.
Justice Karim also observed the government must take a proactive approach to environmental issues, adding major construction projects in Lahore might need to be halted to control the situation.
On traffic, the judge regretted that even government-owned Speedo buses emit significant smoke, never mind private transport. “This is a wake-up call for the government. Planning for the next year must begin immediately,” he said, stressing planning was the responsibility of the government and the court did not want to intervene.