FAISALABAD  -  The environment pro­tection department (EPD) got registered cases against the own­ers of 158 factories, brick kilns and vehicles for polluting environ­ment in the district dur­ing the last 5.5 months. 

Giving details, Deputy Director Environment Johar Abbas said on Monday that teams of environment protection department checked 830 industrial units up­till now from Septem­ber 1, 2023 and chal­laned the owners of 178 factories on the charge of burning prohibited material in their boilers. 

He said that premises of 89 boilers were sealed and imposed a fine of Rs 24.75 million on their owners besides getting cases registered against the owners of 90 units on sheer violation of environment protection laws. He said the envi­ronment teams also in­spected 697 brick kilns during the same period and challaned the own­ers of 104 kilns for run­ning their kilns without zigzag technology. 

The teams also sealed premises of 35 kiln hous­es and imposed a fine of Rs18 million on their owners besides getting 55 cases registered for violation of environ­ment protection rules. The environment teams also checked 1,111 ve­hicles on various routes in Faisalabad during 5.5 months and imposed a fine of Rs 24 drivers besides getting cases registered against the owners and drivers of 13 vehicles on the charge of emitting excessive smoke thus polluting the environment, he added.

CONSTABLE AMONG TWO HELD

Police have arrested two accused including a constable on the charge of committing unnatu­ral offence with a youth. 

Police said on Monday that police constable Ata Mustafa posted at Civil Lines police station along with his accomplice Atif took a youth to the lim­its of Sadr police station where they reportedly committed sodomy and made its video. The ac­cused also snatched cash and mobile phone from the victim and demand­ed another amount of Rs100,000. They also hurled threat of making video viral on social me­dia if he failed to pay the money. On information, City Police Officer (CPO) Capt (Retd) Muhammad Ali Zia took serious no­tice of the incident and directed the police to ar­rest the accused. 

He also suspended accused constable Ata Mustafa and directed to initiate departmental proceeding against him. A special police team conducted raids and ar­rested both the accused. Further investigation was underway.