Daily Times

In response to the unprecedented levels of smog engulfing Multan, the divisional administration has declared it a significant environmental emergency.

Commissioner Multan Division Maryam Khan has called for an urgent meeting on Sunday to expedite anti-smog operations across the division. She issued directives to intensify crackdown on smog-causing activities, particularly crop residue burning and waste incineration, during the meeting.

The commissioner said that for the first time in Multan’s history, the city was facing such severe air pollution. She instructed officials to take strict legal action against those burning agricultural residue and waste, a primary contributor to the worsening air quality. Factories that were found violating environmental standards were notified and might be sealed, she added.

Maryam Khan further directed the district regional transport authority (RTA) and traffic police to immediately impound vehicles emitting excessive smoke. She said that the deputy commissioners in each district should run an aggressive anti-smog campaign.

To tackle pollution from brick kilns, the authorities plan to demolish kilns using outdated technology and assigned ID numbers to all kilns in the division, which must be prominently displayed. Commissioner Maryam Khan emphasized that all contributors to environmental pollution would be held accountable without exception.

In line with Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directives, the administration has adopted an accelerated approach to reduce pollution. Strict action was also being taken against furnaces used for burning old batteries, commissioner maintained.

Speaking on the occasion, the DC Wasim Hamid Sandhu said that the traffic Police, in collaboration with the National Highways Authority (NHA) have restricted vehicles with excessive smoke emissions. He said that the revenue and agriculture officers were conducting operations against those burning crop residues, with committees actively patrolling for such violations.

Chief Traffic Officers (CTO) Mawarhan Khan told the meeting that as part of immediate measures, all malfunctioning buses have been taken off the road. Six diversion points have been established to redirect heavy traffic away from city limits, with points at Bosan Bypass, NLC, Bahawalpur Bypass, Nag Shah, Nadra Abad, and Vehari Road ensuring heavy vehicles were rerouted. Heavy traffic was also banned from entering the city at night.

During the last few days, 418 smoke-emitting vehicles have been impounded, with fines totaling over Rs four million, he added.

It was also disclosed in the meeting that the authorities have registered cases against seven individuals for burning crop residue within a single day, issuing fines amounting to Rs 30,000 to the violators.

The Waste Management Company (MWMC) has initiated water-sprinkling operations in various city areas to mitigate dust and smog. The ongoing efforts were also reviewed in a meeting.

The commissioner said that the comprehensive actions underscore the administration’s commitment to combating the severe smog crisis, aiming to protect public health and improve air quality across the region.