Authorities asked to bar entry of vehicles without M-tag on M2 motorway to curb pollution

Authorities asked to bar entry of vehicles without M-tag on M2 motorway to curb pollution

Synopsis

LAHORE: To control air pollution in the city, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed authorities to ban the entry of vehicles without the M-tag on the M2 motorway (Lahore-Islamabad) after a week.

Authorities asked to bar entry of vehicles without M-tag on M2 motorway to curb pollution

Lahore pollution

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LAHORE: To control air pollution in the city, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed authorities to ban the entry of vehicles without the M-tag on the M2 motorway (Lahore-Islamabad) after a week.

LHC’s Justice Shahid Karim issued the order after the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) told the court that the Air Quality Index (AQI) around the M2 Ravi Toll Plaza is the highest.

“A period of one week is given to both the motorway police as well as National Highway Authority to ensure that necessary steps are taken not only to publicly advertise this aspect to all motorists and secondly to make arrangement for a greater number of booths to be set up to enable the motorists to purchase the balance for their M-tag,” read the written order.

Read more: LHC advises Punjab govt to impose lockdown in Lahore to control smog

The judge further directed NHA and motorway police to take emergency measures before the December 7 deadline. He added that after the deadline ends the condition would be mandatorily enforced on the M2 motorway as well as all other motorways converging on Ravi toll plaza.

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Earlier, the PDMA representative suggested that the motorway police should not permit any car to enter M2 if they did have a balance in the M-tag. This, according to him, should be a mandatory condition for plying a vehicle on the M2 motorway.

He said congestion of the cars, at the Ravi toll plaza, which had no balance of M-tag, was a big contributor to pollution.

The representative also pointed out a change in the air current was expected from December 4 and a rain spell of short duration is likely to take place on December 5.

Read more: LHC directs Punjab govt to release funds to Lahore mayor to address smog situation

The Environmental Protection Agency also submitted a report which stated that the introduction of zigzag technology for kiln factories had proved beneficial for reducing pollution.

It said 6,277 brick kilns were inspected and a fine of Rs 47.8 million was imposed. Apart from the fines, 865 FIRs were lodged and 26 persons were arrested and 337 brick kilns were sealed.

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The report said that 31,739 smog emitting vehicles were inspected and a Rs 6.3 million fine was imposed on them. It further stated that 923 vehicles were impounded.

The report also said that the Lahore deputy commissioner has formed an anti-smog squad that has been implementing smog-related directions of the court. The commissioner had also directed sugar industries for installation of wastewater treatment plants and compliance was sought within 15 days.

The court also directed the director general Park and Horticulture Authority (PHA) for maintenance as well as plantation along the track of the metro orange line train.

The chief traffic police officer informed the court that its previous order regarding violation of one-way rule had yielded remarkable results.

Read more: LHC asks for plan to maintain traffic in Lahore during smog

The court also ordered that the same amount of fine be imposed on violators for driving a car without a valid license.

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The court also asked the Lahore mayor to constitute an Anti-Encroachment Squad which would visit different localities of Lahore to remove the encroachments and ensure that these encroachments are not set up repeatedly.

Justice Karim will resume hearing on December 07.

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