Two wheelers with modified silencers to be impounded: Pb min

Two wheelers with modified silencers that cause noise pollution will be impounded, Punjab Environment Minister Om Parkash Soni said today.

"Impound bikes creating thumping sound due to modification of silencers," Soni told officials in a high-level meeting of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and Environment Department officers.

Modified silencers of different shapes and sizes installed on motorcycles especially Royal Enfield bikes have become a nuisance in the state.

Mostly youngsters opt for these after market silencers for a deeper bass or a loud thump.

The minister further said that the work for online services of pollution checking centres was on fast-track and details of every vehicle would soon be available on the internet.

Besides, vehicle owners will get an SMS reminder a week before the expiration of their vehicle's pollution certificate, he said.

Soni also directed the officers to make efforts to enhance air quality in urban areas and noted that releasing industrial residue and sewage without treatment into water bodies would not be tolerated.

If any industry or municipality does not follow set norms and continues to spill contaminated water into the rivers, strict action would be taken against the erring unit and the concerned officer, he said.

Officers should personally check for contamination at the ground level and must be held responsible for any lapse, he said.

Soni directed that all the laboratories of the environment department must be functional to check water and air samples.

He further said that only CNG based auto rickshaws were being registered in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala.