LHC issues detailed verdict in smog case

LAHORE, Aug 13 (APP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued its 264-page detailed judgment on petitions seeking measures to control environmental pollution and smog, retaining its ban on the cutting of trees in Lahore.

Justice Shahid Karim authored the judgment, in which the court recommended making environmental and water conservation an integral part of government decision-making.

The court observed that governments were responsible for protecting citizens’ fundamental, constitutional and legal rights, adding that complex environmental crises could not be resolved through a single order or judgment. Development projects, it maintained, could not be completed at the irreversible cost of the environment and natural resources.

The judgment praised the services of members of the Water and Environment Commission and recommended that they be considered for civil awards in recognition of their contribution to environmental protection. The court also observed that continuous judicial oversight and regular progress reports from the government had proved highly effective.

The judgment detailed judicial measures taken over the past eight years for the protection of water, air, trees, land and the urban environment. It described climate change as a human-induced global catastrophe, warning that failure to take immediate action could pose a serious threat to civilisation and the natural world.

The court noted that a system had been introduced in Lahore to conserve ablution water for irrigation of parks, while several underground tanks had been constructed to store rainwater. Rainwater storage projects had been completed at Garhi Shahu, Sheranwala Gate, Lawrence Road and Qaddafi Stadium. The underground tank at Qaddafi Stadium had a capacity of four million gallons.

According to the judgment, judicial measures had helped prevent further deterioration of Lahore’s groundwater levels over the past five years. Rainwater harvesting had been made mandatory under new building plans, while houses measuring one kanal or more were required to install greywater treatment plants. The court also noted that a system for collecting aquifer charges from groundwater users had been implemented in Punjab.

On air pollution and smog, the court observed that vehicles accounted for approximately 83 per cent of Lahore’s local air pollution. All brick kilns in Punjab had been shifted to zigzag technology, while strict restrictions on tree cutting had been imposed and development projects were required to protect existing trees.

The judgment noted that criminal cases had also been registered against those involved in illegal tree cutting, while 52 Miyawaki urban forests had been established in Lahore. These forests, the court observed, had contributed significantly to improving the city’s green cover and environmental quality.

The LHC directed authorities to accelerate enforcement of the province-wide ban on plastic bags, including sealing shops found violating the ban and imposing fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs20,000.

The court also noted that smog had been declared a disaster in Punjab, requiring relevant departments to take emergency measures to control it.

The LHC allowed the petition filed by citizen Haroon Farooq concerning environmental pollution and directed that judicial measures for environmental protection should continue. It stressed that environmental protection must be made a fundamental consideration in government policy-making and development decisions.