Medium to long term plan to combat SMOG in Punjab

08/11/17

Introduction of Low-Sulphur fuels

 

            (i) Relevant Ministry in the Federal Government will be approached to ensure implementation of clean fuel regime by Dec 2017; and

            (ii) Environmental Protection Agency shall not accord Environmental Approval for the establishment of a fuel refinery unless it complies with clean fuel regime, at least vis-à-vis Sulphur contents.

 

Adopting Euro-II Standards for vehicular emission:

 

            (i) Relevant Ministry in the Federal Government will be approached for restricting the import of used gasoline vehicles which do not comply with Euro II standard.

            (ii) In coordination with the Transport Department, Environmental Protection Agency will devise a time bound plan to restrict awarding Environmental Approval to the manufacture of any three and four wheeled vehicles which do not comply with the Euro II standard.

 

Installation of vehicular pollution control devices

 

            (i) Strict inspection regime. The aim is to adopt a phased approach towards installation of appropriate devices in the vehicles, such as the Catalytic Converter, to convert NOx, SOx and CO into simpler non-harmful forms before escaping the exhaust pipe (for existing vehicles).

            (ii) Federal Government will be approached to make it mandatory upon all  vehicle manufacturers and importers to install appropriate devices by a mutually agreed cut-off date.

 

Better traffic management

 

            (i) Additional Inspector General of Traffic and other traffic management authorities will work towards better traffic management;

            (ii) Respective municipal administration shall be asked to remove permanent and temporary encroachment for ensuring smooth flow of traffic; and

            (iii) Environmental Protection Agency shall not accord Environmental Approval to any housing society unless it ensures provision of lanes for non-motorized traffic.

 

Controlling burning of municipal waste and crop residue

 

            (i) Agriculture Department shall prepare and execute plan(s) for disposal of crop residue in an environmentally friendly manner;

            (ii) All municipal authorities and waste management agencies shall ensure at least 75% collection efficiency of solid waste; and

            (iii) Environmental Protection Agency shall not accord Environmental Approval to any housing society unless it provides comprehensive solid waste management (collection and disposal) system.

 

Building capacity to monitor and forecast episodes of high air pollution

 

            (i) Environment Protection Department will work closely with the Planning & Development and Finance Department for establishment of Environmental Monitoring Center;

            (ii) While according Environmental Approvals, Environmental Protection Agency shall make it mandatory for industrial units with significant level of gaseous emission to install either continuous emission monitoring analyzers for each criteria pollutant or install an ambient air quality monitoring station with analyzers for each criteria pollutant. Detailed parameters in this regard will be worked out by the Agency and disseminated through its website and otherwise to all project proponents.

 

Creation of wood land in and around major cities

 

            (i) Environmental Protection Agency will closely work with the Board of Revenue to identify and earmark state-land wherever available in the vicinity of large cities/towns for tree plantation;

            (ii) Environmental Protection Agency will then work with the Forest Department to identify suitable tree species in view of intended purpose and economic value and establish and maintain woodlands on the indicated pieces of land.

 

Controlling fugitive dust from road shoulders and construction sites

 

            (i) C&W Department and other relevant agencies shall develop an appropriate engineering design for road shoulder sand take measures to implement this design for all existing and new roads.

            (ii) All construction project proponents shall ensure that appropriate measures are undertaken to control fugitive dust. Environmental Protection Agency will ensure that a suitable fugitive dust control plan is prepared and rigorously implemented by all major construction projects in the Punjab.

            (iii) Environmental Protection Agency shall make it mandatory, for each new  housing colony and road project to implement the recommended road shoulder design.

 

Planned Urban and industrial development

 

            (i) Local Government and Housing & Urban Development Departments, shall ensure development of master land-use plans through their respective subordinate offices. These plans will initially be developed for major cities and eventually encompass intermediate and small cities and then towns as well.

            (ii) Environmental Protection Agency shall make it mandatory for each project to be in accordance with the developed master land-use plan.

 

Greening of industrial processes

 

            (i) Environmental Protection Agency shall make it mandatory upon major contributors to air pollution such as cement manufacturing plants, steel mills and thermal power plants to install such  technologies which are suitable vis-à-vis energy and resource efficiencies and emission reduction.

            (ii) Environment Protection Department shall conceive and implement projects for greening of existing industrial units by removing technological, entrepreneurial capacity and financial barriers.

 

Regional environmental agreement

 

            Federal Government will be approached to put environmental concerns on agenda of bilateral and multilateral dialogues between India and Pakistan.

 

 

Oversight and Coordination for Implementation – Punjab Environmental Protection Council shall oversee the implementation of this policy. Coordination in this respect shall be undertaken by Environment Protection Department.