RAWALPINDI: The local administration on Tuesday launched a campaign to wash major roads in the city to end dust pollution and avoid chances of smog.

Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha inaugurated the drive at Sixth Road. The campaign is being carried out by Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC).

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner claimed that the district administration had issued tickets to about 10,000 diesel vehicles for emitting smoke, adding no vehicle will be allowed to ply on roads without a vehicle inspection certificate.

He urged citizens to support efforts of the administration to avoid smog by never burning garbage, spraying water to remove dust and timely repairing smog emitting vehicles. He said that the RWMC and other organisations were actively working to eliminate smog and the citizens should help them by ensuring cleanliness.

For sanitation complaints, use the helpline number 1139, android app Clean Rawalpindi and social media accounts of the RWMC, he said. The commissioner along with RWMC chief Rana Sajid Safdar and others visited the awareness camp and inspected the road washing.

The officials on the occasion said just like the drives against dengue and coronavirus, joint effort was needed to eliminate smog.

The RWMC chief said a thorough cleaning operation and awareness campaign was going on and workers were dumping garbage on time so that no one gets a chance to burn garbage. Cleanliness is maintained and dust is also being eliminated by road washing.

He said in the light of the orders of the Punjab government, Rawalpindi will be made a zero waste and smog free city. Workers are always busy serving the citizens by sacrificing their holidays and citizens should also help them.

The RWMC has displayed banners in the city to inform the citizens about anti-smog and pamphlets are also being distributed among the citizens.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2023