Authorities in Punjab have started cracking down on activities contributing to worsening air quality, as the region faces severe smog with Lahore recently labeled the most polluted city globally.
Several have been arrested for burning trash and driving smoke-emitting vehicles, with police registering 182 complaints and making 71 arrests, according to Punjab authorities. These efforts aim to tackle the rising pollution levels, which have placed Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at hazardous levels.
To curb the alarming pollution, the Punjab government is considering measures such as artificial rain, which could cost between Rs. 5 million and Rs. 7 million per instance. Water sprinkling on roads, stricter regulations on smoke-emitting vehicles, and bolstered public transport services are among the immediate steps being taken.
Maryam Nawaz has also called for “climate diplomacy” with India to address transboundary pollution, particularly smoke from stubble burning in Indian Punjab, which significantly impacts air quality in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in India’s Haryana state, at least 16 farmers have been arrested for illegally burning paddy stubble, a major contributor to air pollution. Over 300 fines have been imposed on individuals involved in stubble burning and operating pollution-causing brick kilns.