LAHORE: Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court has stressed the need to save and recycle water, saying that along with public institutions, every single individual should come forward and play his/her role in this regard.

He was addressing a seminar in connection with the World Environment Day 2022 at the Government College University (GCU) held in collaboration with the WWF-Pakistan.

Justice Karim said under the Judicial Water Commission a number of practical initiatives had been implemented, including car wash recycling water systems and ablution water aid. He said the commission also imposed a com-plete ban on plastic bags and its drive was still continuing as a number of waste water treatment plants had been installed in multinational industries in Lahore. He asked the students to join hands and inform the water commission if they noticed any violation of environmental by-laws.

Justice Karim was the chief guest in the seminar while GCU Vice Chancellor Asghar Zaidi, EPA Punjab Director General Anbreen Sajid, Prof Dr Faiza Sharif Director ORICGCULahore, Dr Masood Arshad, senior director Footprint, officials of the Punjab Environment Department and students were present on this occasion.

Environment Protection Department (EPD) Secretary Dr Naeem Rauf said the government was committed to protecting theenvironment in collaboration with other departments like industries, transport and energy departments. In the recent past, the EPD successfully achieved its target to convert the old brick kilns to zigzag technology, he added.

Dr Rauf added that the EPD had launched another flagship programme, named `Punjab Green Development Programme` with the assistance of the World Bank.

The implementation of the program would strengthen environmental governance in Punjab and provide incentives to the industrial units for adopting cleaner production technologies.

`This program will also introduce eco-friendly busses. The Punjab government is working to promote greener and eco-friendly technologies in Punjab and theenvironment department would implement it jointly with support of allied departments and the general public,` the secretary said.

During the panel discussion, Director General Anbreen Sajid, Vice Chancellor Asghar Javed, WWF Senior Director, Dr Faiza of GCU and others stressed the need of a better and clean environment.

Meanwhile, all over Punjab, rallies and seminars were organised at the district levels held jointly with educational institutes, NGOs, and other allied government departments.

Every year on June 5, the World Environment Day is observed across the world to raise awareness on degrading environmental conditions and to encourage the people to take steps to protect the environment.