LAHORE: Punjab has intensified its province-wide campaign against smog, with monitoring, preventive measures and field enforcement being carried out simultaneously ahead of the peak pollution season.
Industrial, Kiln and Plastic Pollution Checks Intensified
According to official figures, drone squads, night squads and Hawk-Eye field teams are continuously monitoring potential pollution sources, with authorities directed to take immediate action wherever environmental violations are identified.
During the past 24 hours, authorities inspected 254 industrial units across Punjab. Seventeen units were issued smog notices, eight were sealed and fines totalling Rs1.005 million were imposed for violations.
Enforcement against brick kilns was also stepped up, with 422 kilns inspected during the same period. Five kilns were demolished, eight sealed and five FIRs registered, while fines totalling Rs2.25 million were imposed.
Officials said a zero-tolerance policy was being followed against violations of environmental laws, with monitoring of brick kilns and industrial units further strengthened before the smog season.
The campaign also targeted plastic-related pollution. Authorities inspected 291 plastic points, sealed three locations, confiscated 999 kilograms of substandard plastic and imposed fines of Rs94,000.
Commercial cooking and barbecue establishments also faced intensified checks. A total of 184 locations were inspected, resulting in 71 smog notices and the sealing of 18 premises. Suction hoods were installed at 69 locations to control smoke emissions.
On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, monitoring of smoke emissions from commercial kitchens and barbecue points has been further tightened, with authorities instructed to ensure both installation and effective operation of suction hoods.
Farmer Awareness Campaign Expanded
Alongside enforcement, Punjab has significantly expanded its farmer awareness campaign to discourage crop-residue burning.
Official figures show anti-smog announcements have been made through 35,948 mosques, while authorities have directly contacted 239,705 farmers across the province.
A total of 20,193 training programmes have been organised with participation from 450,279 farmers, extending the awareness drive deep into rural communities.
The government has also organised 154 Mega Farmer Days, attended by 13,636 farmers, as well as 497 farmer gatherings and seminars at markaz level.
Anti-smog awareness messages related to crop-residue management have also reached 324,597 farmers through social media.
More than 10,000 Super Seeders have been provided to farmers across Punjab to encourage incorporation of crop residue into the soil instead of burning it. Modern agricultural machinery is also being made available to farmers on a rental basis.
According to the latest official update, rice has been cultivated over 6,332,311 acres in Punjab, of which 878,705 acres have so far been harvested, representing around 13.8 percent of the total target.
A total of 1,259 Kubota machines are currently engaged in harvesting operations and have covered 348,217 acres, while 187 balers being used for crop-residue management have so far covered 100,524 acres.
During the past 24 hours, authorities extinguished a crop-residue fire at one location. Overall, fires at 10 locations covering around 22 acres have been prevented from spreading.
More than 448,000 warning notices have also been issued to farmers as part of efforts combining awareness with enforcement against crop-residue burning.
Road, Dust and Waste Control Measures
Local government institutions are simultaneously carrying out anti-smog measures. During the previous day, water was sprinkled over 1,033 kilometres of roads, while road shoulders were repaired at 19 locations to help reduce dust.
Authorities also carried out 44 actions to ensure exposed construction material was properly covered and issued 275 warnings and notices against the burning of solid waste, tyres, rubber and plastic.
Another 638 operations were conducted against encroachments, carts and kiosks to improve traffic flow and reduce dust emissions, with fines totalling Rs95,500 imposed.
Punjab Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said controlling smog required more than enforcement alone, stressing that awareness, modern agricultural machinery, continuous monitoring and effective field action were being pursued simultaneously.
She urged farmers not to burn crop residue and instead use modern machinery in their fields to demonstrate environmentally responsible farming practices, adding that such machinery was also available on a rental basis.
