Long-term Strategy Initiated To Control Smog: Dr Jamal

Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Punjab Dr. Jamal Nasir Thursday said that the government has initiated long-term measures to control smog in the province

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Nov, 2023) Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Punjab Dr. Jamal Nasir Thursday said that the government has initiated long-term measures to control smog in the province.

Briefing the media about the Punjab government's measures to control smog, the minister said work for setting up the first-ever environmental laboratory in Lahore would be commenced soon which will determine the nature of various constituents of atmospheric pollution for adopting a compatible strategy to curb their generation.

The minister said that the number of patients suffering from respiratory and throat diseases and other allergies was increasing these days due to smog. “Necessary medicines have been provided in ample quantities in hospitals to treat such patients,” he added.

Dr Jamal said that prospects for artificial rain at certain places were being evaluated to reduce smog.

A high-powered committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, Punjab, had been constituted for taking practical measures in this regard, he said and added that experts from Bahauddin Zakaria University, Multan, and Punjab University, Lahore, had been contacted for this purpose.

The minister said that the proposal for the installation of ionization filters at 12 places in Lahore was also being reviewed to sprinkle moisture in the air to reduce pollution.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare said that the Punjab government has decided to contact Chinese experts to control smog in Punjab.

He said that quality checking of fuel at filling stations has been accelerated. The police and the transport department have been directed to crack down on pumps selling sub-standard petrol, which was a major cause of air pollution resulting in smog, he added.