Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has said that Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is continuously improving, with AQI recorded at 168 – a clear indication of the remarkable air quality improvement witnessed this November. She stated that this positive shift is the outcome of the Punjab Government’s fast-track smog policy and integrated strategy.
Over the past one and a half years, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif prioritized smog control as her top agenda and issued the largest environment-friendly budget in the province’s history. Under this initiative, Punjab launched its first-ever mega-level, system-based action plan.
The 41 high-tech monitoring stations drone surveillance, smog guns, and the modern EPF Force established by the government have transformed the province’s anti-smog network into a regional model. Emergency operations by the Punjab EPA are also underway, with all construction activities halted immediately in high-pollution zones, while the zero-compliance, zero-tolerance policy for industrial units is being enforced strictly.
The district administration has been placed on high alert. Major roads are being power-sprayed twice daily, and a special dust-control mission has been activated to reduce particulate matter. Strict action is being taken against waste burning, illegal encroachments, and unauthorized parking, while waste-management companies have been shifted to “red-zone operation mode.”
Stringent checks have also been implemented in the transport sector, with no vehicle allowed to enter smog hot spots without a valid VICS certificate. In agricultural regions, complete prohibition on stubble burning is being ensured through drone footage, geo-fencing, and rapid field response mechanisms.
To safeguard public health, daily health alerts are being issued, and free medical camps have been set up across the city with special provisions for medicines, oxygen, and medical staff. Citizens have been advised to wear masks, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep children and elderly individuals away from open-air activities.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said that eliminating smog is a collective mission of the government and the people, and with mutual cooperation, the results will be even faster and more effective.