The Ministry of Climate Change officials have asked the government to acquire a new plane to assist in fighting forest fires in the country.
The demand was tabled during a Senate Standing Committee meeting on Climate Change, chaired by Senator Seemi Ezdi. The meeting focused on a variety of topics related to climate change, including vehicle emissions and pollution.
The Ministry of Climate Change officials also revealed that they have developed a Clean Air Policy, which includes recommendations for reducing pollution in five key sectors.
Among these recommendations are using good oil in vehicles and checking vehicles for emissions. Senator Asad Ali Junejo suggested that vehicle checking should be linked with Excise while Senator Humayun Mahind called for the government to make vehicle checking a reality.
During the meeting, the Director General (DG) Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Farzana Altaf, disclosed that poor-quality fuel is being used in vehicles in Pakistan. She stated that the fuel being used is not even Euro2 and neighboring countries have already moved to Euro4 fuel. The committee summoned motor vehicle production companies and Excise and Taxation to address this issue.
The meeting also addressed the problem of plastic waste, with officials from the Ministry of Climate Change revealing that 3 million tons of plastic waste is generated in the country.
The officials said that all types of plastic will be banned in the federation, and big companies have been spoken to about the issue. The Chairperson Committee emphasized the need to raise awareness against the use of plastic and suggested cloth bags as an alternative.
Federal Minister of Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, briefed the committee on preparations to deal with the upcoming heat wave, which has caused fear in the country after multiple heat waves last summer.
The Minister stated that the task force has completed preparations to deal with the heat wave and efforts are underway to increase the capacity of the provinces to deal with the issue.
