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LAHORE, Feb 13 (APP):Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has praised the Punjab government’s initiatives for water conservation, efficient usage, drought prevention, pollution control, and environmental improvement.
In a written interim order on petitions concerning the smog issue, released on Thursday, the court outlined the government’s environmental policies and deemed its performance exemplary.
Justice Shahid Karim assigned all monitoring responsibilities to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on its performance over the past 11 months. The EPA has been directed to implement concrete measures to prevent water wastage and ensure efficient use.
A fine of Rs. 10,000 will be imposed for washing vehicles at home and wasting water. Additionally, petrol pumps without recycling plants will face a Rs. 100,000 fine. The EPA will inspect petrol pumps to ensure the installation of recycling plants, and penalties will be imposed on non-compliant stations despite prior warnings.
The court commended the government’s legislative efforts for water conservation and announced the establishment of a special authority under the Chief Minister of Punjab to ensure environmental protection and efficient water usage. Local governments have been instructed to set up treatment plants, which will be mandatory for all future residential and commercial constructions.
The court also acknowledged various environmental protection measures in the transport sector. The LHC emphasized the importance of Punjab’s environmental policies and ordered the relevant authorities to ensure their strict implementation.