Industrial Sector Support Sought For Pollution-free Province, Punjab Assembly Told

Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Punjab Sibtain Khan on Friday told the Punjab Assembly that the government would make the province pollution-free, in collaboration with the industrial sector.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2018 ) :Minister for Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Punjab Sibtain Khan on Friday told the Punjab Assembly that the government would make the province pollution-free, in collaboration with the industrial sector.

"The Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997 has already been enacted to control air pollution across the province," he added.

He was replying to queries by lawmakers during Question- Hour in the Punjab Assembly. He said that special emphasise was being laid to check air pollution, adding that industrial units of Faisalabad had installed air pollution control systems to control pollution. He said that an effluent treatment plant had been installed in district Kasur to treat the polluted water of 272 leather factories.

Answering a question, he said that eight environmental laboratories were working in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan.

The government, the minister said, had banned burning of crops residues and two-stroke rickshaws to control smog.

Earlier, the fifth sitting of the ongoing session of the provincial assembly started an hour and 22 minutes behind its scheduled time with Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari in the chair.

As many as 45 MPAs were present at the outset of the sitting.

Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was absent from the proceedings.

Minister for Special Education Muhammad Ikhlaq, responding to an adjournment motion, moved by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) lawmaker regarding facilities provided to children with special needs in schools, told the House that the provincial government was spending a hefty amount for welfare of children with disabilities, adding that full attention was being paid to the rehabilitation of school children. He said that over 200 special education centres were working under the supervision of the government for special persons in Punjab.

Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid moved a motion to discuss the health issues. However, the House did not proceed due to suspension of the sitting.

A PML-N lawmaker pointed out the quorum that led to ringing of bells for five minutes. The quorum was incomplete again on the resumption of the proceedings.

Therefore, the chair adjourned the sitting to meet again on Monday (December 10) at 3pm.