400 Brick Kilns Shift Over To Zigzag Technology In Punjab: DG EPD

Director General Environment Protection Department (EPD) Tanveer Ahmad Warraich has said that around 400 brick kilns had converted their furnaces to eco-friendly Zigzag technology to reduce smog risk in the province

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Nov, 2019 ) :Director General Environment Protection Department (EPD) Tanveer Ahmad Warraich has said that around 400 brick kilns had converted their furnaces to eco-friendly Zigzag technology to reduce smog risk in the province.

Talking to APP on Tuesday, the DG EPD said a total of 10,000 brick-kilns were functional in the province and added it was the fifth smog season taking place in Lahore and other parts of the country.

He pointed out that trans-boundary pollution, coupled with indigenous pollution and smoke producing elements, had further aggravated the situation. "The main issue of air pollution and smog in Lahore city consists of vehicular emissions, industrial gaseous releases, particularly steel units, open garbage burning and scrap burning in the provincial capital", he added.

He said there were estimated 2,700 scrap burning units who regularly burn different substances to extract raw material whereas over 400 steel manufacturing units were operating with very few having wet scrubbers installed to curb dark emissions.

He said the steel industries were wasting bulk of water while operating wet scrubbers whereas there had been deliberations with steel manufacturing plants to adopt dry scrubbers.

"The dry scrubbers are expensive, yet cost-effective as it recovers their investment of Rs15 million within 18months. The carbon collected through dry scrubbers has lucrative market value and sold to different industries to manufacture various goods," he added.

To a question, he said there was Section 144 imposed on open household garbage burning in Lahore where direct First Information Report (FIR) was to be issued against any culprit found violating the law.

The challenge, he said, was colossal and it required a multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration to mitigate the smog risk with public cooperation.

He told APP that Zigzag conversion of brick-kiln costs around Rs 2.5million and was a time taking process which required technical assistance and guidance to their owners to successfully implement the model.

Responding another query, he said the rice crop stubble burning was done in Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala and Sialkot Divisions where rice crop husks were burnt after the harvest.

"Unless we convince the farmers to adopt the happy seeder technology that removes the rice husks and sows wheat seeds automatically, no change in stubble burning could be achieved.

We have to give incentives and subsidies to the rice farmers to shift to latest technology," he added.

DG EPD Tanveer Ahmad Warraich said trans-boundary pollution no doubt had major share in the smog shrouding Lahore but there was a need to realize the local sources of pollution that were persistently marring the ambience of the metropolis.

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