PM Imran unveils strategy to tackle pollution, smog
 

By News DeskLAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced his government’s major plans to deal with growing threat of smog and pollution in all mega cities of the country, especially Lahore, by declaring that for the first time in the country’s history, a government was taking drastic steps to quell the impacts of “the silent killer”.Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Prime Minister Khan named pollution caused by transport as one of the major reasons for environmental pollution, saying the government had decided that till end of year 2020, Euro 5 fuel would be imported, while the recent fuel would be converted into Euro4. He expressed the hope with such steps, 90 per cent pollutants in the air could be reduced.The Prime Minister further apprised the local oil refineries would be given three year-time period to improve and convert their fuel technology on modern lines. Furthermore, negotiations were underway with the vehicles manufacturing companies for the introduction of electric vehicles, he said, hinting that in January 2020, the government would also lay down an incentive policy in this regard.He said the public buses running on dirty fuels and spewing hazardous smoke in the major cities were the major reason for pollution and smog, so they would be gradually replaced with hybrid or electric-run vehicles.Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, PM’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and ministers were also present. The Prime Minister observed stubble burning during the winter season also add to the environmental woes. The government would import machinery worth Rs30 billion to help control the issue, he added.Moreover, steel furnaces and brick kilns were also adding to smog, and the government would also make the owners of those kilns to introduce modern zigzag techniques, he said.The Prime Minister said stubble burning in the neighbouring areas of India was also a reason of intensified smog in Lahore. A 60,000 kanal area of land had been identified for urban forestry in Lahore and its suburbs, the Prime Minister said, adding such steps would have slow and gradual impact and people would feel their positive impact within a short span of time.He observed major cities like Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi were also facing same challenges and the environmental pollution would get worst if corrective measures were not taken.To have an effective strategy, there should be monitoring centres to keep a check on air quality, he said, adding Lahore had two such centres and now their number would be increased to 30 which would help give accurate data.To a question, he said fuel like Euro4 was considered as clean fuel. Now the people would have to decide whether they wanted to pay a bit more for this fuel or put the lives of their kids in danger.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a meeting with bureaucrats and senior police officers in Lahore during his day-long visit to the city, directed senior police officers and bureaucrats of Punjab to do away with old mindset and system for its incompatibility with the vision of Naya Pakistan and fully focus on safeguarding the common man’s rights.The Prime Minister instructed them to carry out their duties purely on merit and strictly advised them not to fulfill any illegal demand of any political figure, a PM Office press release said.Special assistants to prime minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari and Barrister Shahzad Akbar, Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of Punjab Police also attended the meeting.Congratulating the newly posted officers, the Prime Minister said up to 1960s, Pakistan had a distinction in the governance, bureaucracy and policies. However, he added, the country was currently going through a critical stage which required economic stability. He said the national economy was getting stable for what he also felicitated his economic team.Khan told the meeting the government had made all the appointments in bureaucracy and other posts on merit and had freed the officers from all political pressures. A competent bureaucracy was inevitable to bring about economic development, he added. He called for improving law and order and governance system in Punjab province. “In Naya Pakistan, we have to change the old mindset.Old system can no more continue,” he remarked.Khan told the senior officers public service was their foremost responsibility and asked them to strive for uplifting living standard of the poor man. Assuring the officers to ensure security of their service tenure, the Prime Minister also instructed them to curb child abuses and protect the powerless against the powerful elements.The Prime Minister advised the officers to exercise their legal powers only for public service and to uplift their living standards. “In the past, the police stations used to protect the influential ones. But now, your duty is to protect the poor against the powerful ones,” he instructed.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/kpURpcX2R0E

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