Emission control systems installed in 1,085 industrial units

As the smog season approaches in November, a verification survey has found that 1,085 of the 1,087 industrial boiler units operating within municipal limits of Faisalabad have been equipped with emission control systems (ECS), according to officials. The survey was conducted to verify claims by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) regarding the installation and functioning of emission control systems in industrial units. Sources in the divisional administration said the EPD had claimed that ECS equipment had been installed in all industrial units. However, the then commissioner expressed reservations about the data and constituted a committee to verify the claims. A third-party assessment was also conducted to evaluate the systems installed at industrial units. According to the survey, 1,087 boiler units were identified within municipal limits. Of these, two were gas-fired, while 1,085 had emission control and monitoring infrastructure installed. The survey was conducted in coordination with the Industries and Local Government departments and was signed off by the respective district officials, sources said. An additional commissioner said the emission control systems were installed during the tenure of former Deputy Director Environment Faisalabad Usman Azhar and had contributed to controlling smog levels last year. He said continued effective functioning of the systems could help keep the situation under control, but stressed that regular maintenance was essential for their effectiveness. Azhar said that when he assumed charge as Deputy Director Environment Faisalabad, only around 10 to 20 per cent of industrial units had ECS installed. He said achieving the reported compliance level was the result of field surveys and enforcement carried out under the directions of the divisional administration. Environmental expert Abdul Rabb of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad said an emission control system comprised hardware, sensors and computer controls designed to capture, treat or reduce harmful pollutants before they were released into the atmosphere. He said the EPA Faisalabad was conducting a pre-smog crackdown and proposed round-the-clock inspections of textile units, paper and board mills and other factories to check smoke emissions and ensure that ECS were functional. He said surveillance teams had also expanded inspections to commercial kitchens and barbecue restaurants, where proper emission control systems were required, while joint vehicular emission testing was being conducted with City Traffic Police. He said the administration's pre-smog action plan included a seven-point framework, including live CCTV monitoring of industrial emissions linked to the Punjab Clean Air Watch. He stressed that regular monitoring and maintenance of emission control systems would be necessary to sustain compliance and help control air pollution during the upcoming smog season.