The Standing Committee on Nature, Environment, Food and Agriculture got an update on a smoke-reduction program last Friday. The program is supposed to reduce smoke emissions in the city by 30 percent. As part of the program, 70,000 low-smoke stoves are to be made available for purchase at discounted prices. But the standing committee was told that, so far, only 3,500 have been sold.

The program is also supposed to supply 10,000 households in a “no-smoke” zone with electric heaters, but that hasn’t happened because of problems with the electric supply in the area.

The members of the committee urged that the program be speeded up.