Punjab Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal has directed the Environment Protection Department to finalize the framework to control air pollution as soon as possible, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

He issued this directive while presiding over a meeting on smog control at the Civil Secretariat here on Friday. 

The administrative secretaries of various departments including environment protection, local govt, industries, agriculture, transport, and health, deputy commissioners Lahore, and officers concerned attended the meeting. The deputy commissioners of Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Narowal, and Faisalabad also participated in the meeting through video link. 

The Chief Secretary said that the amendments in the environmental policy and the framework to control air pollution should be finalized in consultation with experts and stakeholders. 

The Environment Protection Department secretary Usman Ali Khan apprised the meeting in detail. 

He said that real-time monitoring of the air quality index is being done in Lahore. “At least 348 industrial units causing environmental pollution have been sealed and fines of more than Rs 2,260,000 had been imposed in the last two months,” he added. 

He further briefed the meeting that the department conducted as many as 85,000 inspections of various smog-emitting units and seized 5755 vehicles for producing smoke. He further informed that 29 cases had also been registered against the accused for burning garbage.