Shehbaz seeks help from Amarinder to fight pollution

Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Indian Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to enter a regional cooperation agreement to tackle the issue of smog and environmental pollution.

Sharif wrote to Singh that the people of both Punjabs were facing the problem of smog during the months of October and November, Geo News reported.

"It goes without saying that the smog has an adverse impact on health, agriculture -- in the form of delayed sowing of wheat and damage to potato and other crops -- and causes traffic accidents," said Sharif in the letter dated November 19.

The Chief Minister explained some of the causes of smog, including rice stubble burning. He added the problem now affects Lahore, New Delhi and regions beyond the two cities.

Sharif said it was in the interest of the people from both Punjabs that a collective effort be made towards identifying technologies and business methods that may eliminate the need to burn rice stubble and help control smog formation.

--IANS

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