LHC CJ orders crackdown on industries creating pollution.

LAHORE -- Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh on Thursday directed the Punjab government to take stern action against the industries violating environmental laws and also sought report about coal power plants' effects on climate.

Hearing petitions relating to smog, the chief justice expressed concern over growing air pollution and shrinking greenbelts in urban areas.

'Do they really allocate space for greenbelts in Lahore's master plan?' the infuriated chief justice asked the officials of government departments.

He also noted that the cities had gradually lost their boundaries due to poor planning of the authorities concerned.

An official of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) told court that the new master plan for Lahore was being drafted to bring about improvements. He said Rs500 million had been allocated for a four-year plan to plant trees in the city. He admitted that trees had not been planted along Ring Road.

Representing a petitioner, Advocate Ahmad Rafay Alam submitted that the environment department took no effective step to monitor smog and its density. He said there had been no drop in smog but the department could present piles of papers to justify its performance.

Additional Advocate General Asif Cheema told the court that the chief minister was going to head a meeting of an environmental committee soon. He said the committee would set minimum standard of air quality.

He said the government sealed 747 brick...