LAHORE: The Punjab government, following the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has intensified its crackdown to control smog across the province.
According to a media report, the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has launched round-the-clock checking of heavy vehicles, including trucks and trolleys carrying construction materials.
Authorities have banned the entry of smoky vehicles and heavy transports violating environmental SOPs into Lahore. A zero-tolerance policy has been enforced against vehicles that emit smoke or fail to follow pollution control rules.
Heavy vehicles carrying sand, mud, and other construction materials have been directed to properly cover their loads before entering city roads.
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Strict checking is being carried out at Lahore’s entry points, and EPA officials have been instructed to impose heavy fines on violators of laws aimed at reducing smog and improving air quality.
Meanwhile, for the first time in Punjab’s history, the provincial government has officially tested anti-smog guns in Lahore’s Kahna area to improve air quality, a spokesperson for the Environment Protection Force said.
According to the spokesperson, air pollution in Kahna dropped by 70% after the use of anti-smog guns. Pakistan regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted countries, with Lahore often being the most polluted megacity between November and February.
Lahore’s 14 million residents have spent months breathing high concentrations of PM2.5 — tiny harmful particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream — at levels more than 20 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe limits.
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Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb termed the test a “remarkable success” on her X handle, saying the anti-smog gun operation in Kahna reduced the Air Quality Index (AQI) from 666 to 170 following CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directive.
She added that the 70% drop in air pollution was scientifically verified through advanced environmental monitoring systems. “Our commitment to using modern technology to fight smog and protect citizens’ health remains firm,” she said.
