The Punjab government has launched public welfare oriented mega project of Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) in the City, but without holding any public moot or proper survey of environmental impact of plying diesel-run buses on the City routes, sources informed TheNation. They further said that the above-mentioned project might cause increase in environmental pollution because of the diesel-run buses, which had already banned by the government about a decade back declaring them an injurious to health transport system. By spending billions of rupees, the government also introduced CNG-run buses to provide environment friendly public transport to the masses with launching an awareness campaign for the people to convert their vehicles on CNG in order to make Lahore a pollution free City, the sources maintained. “The government decision regarding conversion of vehicles on CNG has caused huge pressure on the gas supply, which later compelled the government to find substitute of CNG especially for the public transport and ultimately it is going to ply diesel-run buses on the BRTS track,” they further held. While talking to this scribe, Provincial Environment Protection Department Director Nasimur Rehman said that the newly introduced diesel-run buses were environment friendly and were not health hazard. He said that the government imported such engines namely Euro-I and Euro-II for the buses likely to be plied on the BRTS track. “The new technology of Unit-II is successful in Europe and other countries and also is smoke free and not injurious to health,” Rehman informed. The director further said that the old technology used in diesel engines was not only unsuccessful but also was health hazard which compelled the government to ban such old diesel technology across the country and force the citizens and public transporters to convert the diesel and petrol engines on CNG, he further clarified. He said that government was also seeking public opinion in this regard. He admitted that still dozens of diesel-run busses were plying on the City roads. Rehman said all the paperwork, including viability reports, PC-I and environment report was completed before launching the project. He said there was no undue haste in executing the project and all the essential work was being done by the government.