GUJRAT: The district administration has announced `strict ban` on stubble burning and formed an anti-smog squad.

The squad comprises of ficials of the environment protection agency, agriculture, road transport, industries and land revenue departments.

The Gujrat assistant commissioner (coordination) has been assigned the duty of focal person of anti-smog drive.

A meeting of concerned officials was held here on Friday with Gujrat additional deputy commissioner revenue Aurangzaib Sidhu in chair. Of ficials of environment and agriculture departments were tasked with monitoring stubble burning in paddy fields.

It was decided to issue notices to those industrial units that do not adopt environment friendly methods or technology to avoid smoke emission whereas brick kilns functioning without Zigzag technology would also be sealed during the anti-smog drive. The secretary of road transport authority was asked to show zero tolerance towards vehicles causing pollution.

Meanwhile Kharian Assistant Commissioner Salman Akbar on Friday sealed at least 10 illegal petrol agencies.

Most of the sealed agencies had been working in rural areas of the tehsil. Correspondent