LAHORE:The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday directed the PEMRA to launch a smog awareness campaign on television channels.

A bench of the high court, ruled over a petition complaining absence of steps from the city authorities to curb smog in the provincial capital. “Dont tell in the awareness message that the Punjab government has launched a plan to curb smog,” the bench directed.

“Why the smog not being cleared from the city,” the court asked the PDMA director of Punjab. “Low temperature in the area causing the smog,” Director Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. “It will come to an end in few days,” the official said.

Mayor Lahore in his statement told the court that brick kilns were still running. The smoke blackens clothes dark, when a person stands near these (brick kilns),” the city mayor said. “Encroachments have been removed, traffic rules made, fines enhanced, still the smog persists,” mayor said. “It seems the government is not serious to resolve the issue,” he opined. “The vehicles are not being stopped, there are long queues of vehicles owing to M-tag,” Mayor Lahore said in his feedback to the court.

In a previous hearing Justice Shahid Karim urged for setting up parks and green rooftops to control the heat. The bench also ruled for removal of illegal encroachment on the Mall Road and tree plantation along the Canal Road of the city. The high court is hearing a case related to the increasing threat of smog in Punjab, especially in Lahore.