By Muhammad Luqman
Reeled by the ever thickening smog over skyline of Pakistan’s second most populous city, The Punjab government has taken a significant step to reduce smog and air pollution by clamping a ‘green lockdown’ in high pollution areas of Lahore.
The Environmental Protection Department has issued a notification for the green lockdown, which will prohibit construction activities in designated areas.
Additionally, the entry of auto-rickshaws will be banned, and the use of commercial generators will also be restricted. Outdoor barbecues will be prohibited after 8 pm in these areas.
The lockdown targets, given the name of air pollution hotspots include:- Davis Road, Egerton Road, Durand Road, and Kashmir Road.
Other areas affected by the lockdown include Simla Hill , Abbott Road, as well as Railway station and Empress Road. Queen Mary Road and its surrounding areas have also been designated as pollution-affected regions.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also indicated plans to write a letter to the Chief Minister of Indian Punjab Bhagwant Mann to seek cooperation for the mitigation of the smog problem on both sides of the international border.
In her remarks, the CM acknowledged the critical role of collaborative efforts in combatting smog, stating, “The issue of smog is not just political; it is a human problem. We cannot fight it effectively unless both Punjabs work together.”
Maryam Nawaz is going to be the second Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab during the decade to contact the Indian Punjab Chief Minister for joint efforts to overcome this environmental problem. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in the capacity of Chief Minister, had written a letter in November 2017 to then Indian Punjab Chief Minister Capt (rtd) Amrindar Singh.
Pakistan’s Lahore city and the adjoining areas experience worst kind of smog from mid-October to January every year. This period is now considered as the fifth season in this part of the world.
