“Mist Fans” Suggested Against Smog in Punjab

The Faisalabad Think Tank has proposed the installation of mist fans on electric polls along the Rakh Branch Canal in collaboration with the private sector to rein in the smog.

Engineer Ahmad Hassan, former Vice President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), expressed concern that smog has disrupted normal life for several years during winter but no tangible proposal surfaced to control it.

He said that the government tried to contain it through costly artificial rain but it was not a permanent solution to the environmental phenomenon. He suggested a comprehensive business plan that could be implemented under public-private partnership mode to permanently settle this issue in addition to utilizing it during summer to bring down the temperature.

He said businesses and commercial houses along the canal expressway could be motivated to fund and own this project by utilizing water from the canal and electricity already available to the streetlight system of the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) in addition to its repair and maintenance.

This system can be gradually converted to solar energy provided the police take responsibility to protect it and bear expenses in case of theft or intentional wear and tear of the system, he said and added that initially it could be installed and made operational in front of willing business houses.

He further said that its scope could be further expanded to other areas in collaboration with civil society and environmentalists. He said that environment-friendly elements and organizations could be identified and motivated in collaboration with the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) to participate in this project voluntarily.

A memorandum of understanding should also be inked clearly defining the responsibilities of district administration, police, FDA, and irrigation department to keep this project operational on a permanent and sustained basis, he added.