Steps being taken to improve Lahore air quality

LAHORE: On the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb presided over a progress review meeting held on four important sectors in which a delegation from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office participated.

A briefing was given on the progress of matters pertaining to air quality, school education, population and health issues. An effective and feasible road map was reviewed for the elimination of smog in City.

During the briefing, it was apprised that fines would be imposed by identifying smoke-emitting bikes through Safe City cameras. Smog level increases in the month of May due to burning of crop residue. The target is to bring the Air Quality Index from 100PM to 70 PM by 2028; 1,800 new bikes are registered in Lahore every day and motorcycles are the biggest cause of air pollution.

Motorcycles generate more than 75 percent of transport pollution. Effective legislation and enforcement on the environment will make it possible to achieve the smog reduction target.

Marriyum Aurangzeb directed to carry out implementation of the plan for establishing at least 100 VICS stations in Lahore at the earliest. Steps were considered for ensuring better air quality index in City. The Senior Minister said that on the direction of CM Maryam Nawaz, electric bikes, vehicles and buses are being introduced to deal with environmental pollution. Without public awareness measures being taken against environmental pollution are ineffective.

Collective efforts are essential to protect the environment. We will further intensify crackdown on the vehicles violating environmental laws. Bangladesh and China model can be adopted to control pollution caused by bikes. On the direction of the CM, operation against encroachment is ongoing. A heavy fine will be imposed on committing violation of environmental laws. An app will be launched for better coordination between various departments. On the CM’s direction, the ongoing plantation campaign will play a very important role in combating environmental pollution. Air quality index is adversely affecting everyone's health. The Senior Minister said that due to lack of comprehensive and effective strategy, the governance system is becoming difficult. Why institutions that have been working for seven decades could not make a strategy yet? We are further improving access to education, quality and governance of the education system. It was informed during the briefing that Middle and Matric Tech programmes will be launched in 500 different schools of the province. She said that institutional reforms are necessary to improve the Education Department. She said there is a need to adopt a national narrative for population management and collective efforts needed to be undertaken in this regard. There is a dire need to develop population welfare awareness campaigns on modern lines and make it part of the curriculum.

Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said that the school mail programme will start in the first week of September. We are paying full attention to increasing enrolment and retention in the schools. We are building quality classrooms at five times less cost. It was further informed in the briefing that the target of 40% women workers will be achieved in education, awareness and workplace.

The FCDO delegation comprised of Director Development Jomiyur, Miss Clara, Governance Adviser Naveed Aziz, Education Lead Mazhar Siraj and Health Lead Sara Shehzad, Team Lead Roadmap Bilal Rao, Roadmap Team Rana Areeb Javed, Faza Zaheer, Fatima Najeeb, Jabbar Shaheen, Ghulam Farid, Dr Ayesha Rashid, Dr Saima Rashid and Iram Kamran.