On Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan feared a second Covid-19 wave in the coming months in cities where levels of pollution are high.
The new warning from the prime minister appears to be related to his earlier statement issued in March when he hoped that the “hot and dry” weather in Pakistan would help alleviate the coronavirus outbreak.
However, the common thing in both statements is the call of the premier to individuals to exercise social distancing and self-discipline.
While addressing the Encouragement Award Ceremony of the Clean Green Index of 19 competing cities of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Islamabad on Monday evening, the premier expressed these views.
“Several cities, where pollution levels are high, experience smog during October and November, when temperatures start to drop,” said the prime minister while addressing the ceremony.
“I fear that in two months … cities like Faisalabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Gujranwala where there is more pollution, there might be a second spike in coronavirus cases,” PM said while disclosing that the government “is monitoring the situation”. He hoped that the COVID-19 cases “don’t quickly increase”.
Stressing the need for reforestation, air quality control and better solid waste management, the Prime Minister said that pollution stagnates in the atmosphere, allowing diseases to spread during the winter season.
“Our coming generations will have to face the consequence of the way we have destroyed our forests,” he said.
He spoke about the planting of 10 billion trees across the country, highlighting the government’s reforestation initiatives, adding different proposals for city cleaning and the production of energy from solid waste.
Imran said pollution in the capital of Punjab has increased since almost 70 percent of the green cover in Lahore has disappeared. He lamented afterwards how the different cities of the country, including Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi, used to be clean but were now suffering from pollution.
“People used to drink Peshawar’s water as if it was mineral water,” he recalled.
Speaking of Karachi, he said trash and garbage scattered on the streets could be seen along the roadsides of the economic hub of the country.
He stressed changing the mindset in his speech. “The mindset is to be changed first and then you will see change in the surroundings,” he said.
While endorsing district administrations and appreciating the success of various deputy commissioners, he stated that deputy commissioners should be granted benefits for their hard work, including improved ACRs, recognition certificates, promotions and salary increases.
On the contrary, he said, underperforming DCs should be disciplined and added that it should not be the case that everyone’s incomes are raised without evaluating who did what.
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister highlighted the policies of his government during the coronavirus pandemic, stating that, among other issues, the World Health Organisation (WHO) lauded Pakistan’s Covid-19 strategy.
“Attock secured first position with a lead on plantation in the Clean Green Cities Index Awards of Cities, led by Bahawalpur with a lead in” overall category “Solid Waste in Punjab.
Lahore was in third place with overall water and hygiene management, Gujrat was fourth, while Rawalpindi was fifth.
Bannu was declared first in the overall category in K-P; Kohat was second, while Abbottabad secured third position. Peshawar won the ‘Innovation Award for Cities’ with the highest performance for access to safe drinking water, Sahiwal in ‘community participation’, while Gujranwala was awarded for “beautification and parks”.
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