LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch a province-wide operation to intensify monitoring of environmental violations, with field operations of the Environmental Protection Force to be expanded ahead of the crop harvesting season, according to decisions taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.
The decision was taken on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, an official statement said.
The Environmental Protection Agency briefed the meeting on action taken against violations. According to the briefing, 68 industrial units were inspected during September and environmental monitoring of 58 industrial units was carried out. Eighteen units were issued notices for violations, and four industrial units were sealed.
Thirty construction sites were inspected and six were sealed for regulatory breaches.
In the crackdown on single-use plastic and polythene, 314 inspections were conducted, 36 sites sealed and 44 kilograms of plastic items confiscated. Millions of rupees in fines were imposed, while businesses and individuals also pledged compliance.
Ten vehicles were taken into custody, 24 challans were issued and 24 vehicles found causing pollution were sealed. Fines were imposed for emissions-related violations.
The meeting decided that a zero-tolerance policy against smoke-emitting and polluting vehicles would continue to be strictly enforced, and that such vehicles would be dealt with without discrimination.
During raids and inspections, 20 service stations in Lahore were found fully compliant with environmental laws. Monitoring of brick kilns is continuing.
The explicit link between the expanded operation and the crop harvesting season is the most consequential detail in the announcement.
Punjab’s air quality deteriorates sharply in the post-harvest window, when crop residue burning combines with industrial emissions, brick kiln activity and vehicular pollution under stagnant winter conditions. The province has recorded some of the world’s worst recorded air quality readings during this period in recent years, with schools and public activity repeatedly curtailed in Lahore and surrounding districts.
Moving enforcement resources into the field before the burning season begins, rather than after air quality collapses, represents a shift from reactive to preventive deployment — though its effectiveness will depend on coverage across agricultural districts rather than urban centres alone.
The meeting decided that strict and indiscriminate legal action would be taken against those causing environmental pollution.
Marriyum Aurangzeb directed relevant departments to act against violators without discrimination and to further strengthen the field monitoring mechanism.
“A clean and healthy environment is the right of every citizen,” she said, adding that the Punjab government is using all available resources to control pollution and that the environmental protection system is being modernised on a sustainable basis under the Chief Minister’s leadership.
She said the zero-tolerance policy against polluters would continue and that no compromise would be made on enforcement.
The Senior Provincial Minister urged citizens to immediately report smoke emissions, environmental pollution or any violation of environmental laws by calling helpline 1373.
Timely information from citizens, she said, can play an important role in ensuring effective enforcement and helping eliminate pollution across Punjab.
The meeting was also informed that implementation of the Chief Minister’s “Clean Lahore, Healthy Punjab” vision is continuing, with efforts focused on eliminating pollution and providing citizens a clean and healthy environment.
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