LAHORE: Lahore continued to face elevated air pollution on Thursday as the Punjab government intensified its pre-smog campaign across the provincial capital and other districts.
Lahore AQI Reaches 230
The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency’s official monitoring platform showed Lahore’s AQI fluctuating significantly during the early hours of September 24. The citywide reading reached 230 at 4:00am, categorized as “unhealthy,” while the hourly forecast showed an AQI of 194 at 5:00am. Readings varied considerably between monitoring stations.
According to information shared by the provincial government, changing wind conditions and an expected increase in wind speed could help disperse pollutants and improve air quality later in the day.
Punjab Intensifies Pre-Smog Campaign
The deterioration comes as the Punjab government continues a province-wide pre-smog enforcement campaign under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s administration. Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said relevant departments are carrying out coordinated measures against major pollution sources. Earlier official statements also confirmed intensified action against road dust and other sources of air pollution.
According to the latest figures provided by the provincial authorities, 18,621 inspections and visits were conducted across Punjab from September 1 to 22. Authorities reported sealing 1,101 locations, demolishing 215 structures or units, registering 118 FIRs and imposing environmental fines totalling more than Rs41.55 million.
Action Against Major Pollution Sources
The campaign covers brick kilns, industries, plastics, commercial cooking facilities, construction dust and other pollution sources. Recent reporting independently confirms that Punjab has intensified monitoring through drones, night squads and Hawk Eye teams, alongside inspections of brick kilns and industrial units.
In Lahore, authorities also reported water sprinkling across 1,011 kilometres of roads to control dust, repair or construction of 21 road shoulders, action at 66 locations over uncovered construction material and plantation of 180 new trees.
Crop Residue Management Measures
Crop-residue management is another major component of the campaign as Punjab enters the rice harvesting period. The government says harvesters, balers and super seeders are being deployed to discourage farmers from burning crop residue, while hundreds of thousands of warning notices have been issued as part of the zero-burning campaign.
Technology Used for Pollution Monitoring
Marriyum Aurangzeb said enforcement against smoke-producing activities would continue and urged motorists to keep their vehicles properly tuned. Authorities are also using technology, including Safe City monitoring and other surveillance systems, to identify potential pollution violations. The broader pre-smog strategy includes action against construction dust, vehicle emissions, waste burning, crop-residue burning and industrial pollution.
