The Punjab government has banned the burning of crop residues across the province, including Lahore, in a bid to curb rising air pollution and smog levels. The Punjab Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has issued a formal notification instructing that no farmer will be allowed to burn leftover crop materials in fields after harvest.
According to the notification, the Director General of the EPD has formed a special 24-hour monitoring squad to ensure strict enforcement of the ban. The team will keep a continuous watch over hotspot areas along Motorways M-1, M-2, M-3, and M-4, where burning incidents are most frequent.
Special monitoring teams have already been deployed in Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, and Sargodha, while two dedicated teams have been stationed in Kasur, particularly in Sarhali Kalan, Pattoki, and surrounding regions, to take immediate action against violators.
Officials warned that burning crop residues contributes to severe environmental pollution, aggravates smog formation, and poses serious health risks for the public. The department has directed its field teams to take swift punitive action against anyone found violating the ban.
Farmers are being educated on the environmental hazards of crop burning and encouraged to adopt alternative, eco-friendly methods of managing agricultural waste.
To ensure coordinated enforcement, the Director General of Agriculture and all Deputy Commissioners have received special directives to strengthen inter-departmental collaboration and guarantee effective implementation of the ban across Punjab.
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