In a major push to combat air pollution ahead of the winter smog season, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has intensified province-wide enforcement operations against brick kilns, industrial units, plastic manufacturers, construction sites and other major sources of pollution.
Director General EPA Punjab Syed Musa Raza chaired a comprehensive pre-smog preparedness meeting with directors of all EPA directorates and field officers from across Punjab to review enforcement strategies, district-wise preparedness and compliance targets.
During the meeting, he directed all regional offices to launch an aggressive enforcement campaign, enhance field monitoring and ensure strict implementation of environmental laws to minimize emissions before the onset of smog.
DG EPA Punjab Syed Musa stressed that all enforcement wings must work in close coordination and maintain a zero-tolerance policy against environmental violations, saying that preventive action before the smog season would be more effective than reactive measures during peak pollution months.
Following the meeting, DG Syed Musa Raza personally inspected brick kilns in different districts to review compliance with environmental regulations and assess ongoing enforcement activities.
During the inspections, he directed field officers to take indiscriminate action against illegal and highly polluting brick kilns, ensure the operation of approved zigzag technology, and initiate legal proceedings against violators without delay.
He said brick kilns remain one of the major contributors to winter air pollution and their strict regulation is essential for improving air quality.
Earlier, DG EPA Musa Raza also visited the Fog Cannon Machines site and directed the fog cannon operations team to ensure their uninterrupted operation at all large under-construction sites.
He instructed field formations that anti-smog guns must be operated wherever particulate pollution levels rise and particularly in areas where the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeds permissible limits, based on real-time monitoring data generated by EPA Punjab Laboratories and the Climate Watch Hub.
He emphasized that construction activities must adopt effective dust suppression measures, including continuous operation of mist sprinklers and anti-smog guns, especially during dry and windy conditions.
Syed Musa Raza further directed all industrial units to ensure that emission control systems, including pollution abatement and filtration equipment, remain fully operational at all times.
He warned that industries found bypassing or operating without functional emission control mechanisms would face immediate sealing, prosecution and financial penalties under environmental laws.
He also instructed enforcement teams to intensify the inspection of heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) at city entry and exit points, saying that smoke-emitting vehicles significantly contribute to deteriorating urban air quality.
Special checking squads have been directed to monitor commercial and freight vehicles, conduct emissions testing and take legal action against vehicles exceeding prescribed emission standards.
According to enforcement data released by EPA Punjab for the period January 1 to July 25, 2026, brick kilns remained the primary focus of the provincial crackdown. EPA teams visited 45,736 brick kilns, demolished 777, sealed 419, registered 762 FIRs, and imposed fines amounting to Rs67.76 million.
Industrial units constituted the second-largest enforcement category. EPA officials visited 27,384 industrial units, sealed 694, demolished 272, registered 175 FIRs, and imposed fines worth Rs123 million for environmental violations.
Against plastic pollution, EPA Punjab carried out 18,293 inspections, issued 1,989 notices, confiscated 229,713 prohibited plastic items, registered 66 FIRs, sealed 2,725 premises, and imposed fines totaling Rs22.973 million.
Construction activities were also monitored to control fugitive dust emissions. EPA teams visited 336 under-construction sites, issued 249 notices, sealed 16 sites, while 173 locations were found to have installed and were operating mist sprinkler systems to suppress dust.
As part of efforts to curb industrial air pollution, enforcement teams inspected 316 industrial units regarding the installation of suction hoods. Of these, 165 units were equipped with suction hood systems, while 95 units were sealed for non-compliance.
Under the water pollution control campaign, EPA officials visited 744 facilities, issued 31 notices, sealed 43 units, registered two FIRs, imposed Rs1 million in fines, and confirmed that 69 wastewater treatment plants had been installed and were operational.
Vehicle emissions were also monitored during the reporting period. EPA tested 3,930 vehicles, with 13 vehicles failing emission standards.
Meanwhile, inspections of sand trolleys recorded 1,318 inspections, of which 1,305 trolleys were found compliant with standard operating procedures, while 13 trolleys were rejected or returned for failing to meet the prescribed requirements.
Speaking on the occasion, DG Syed Musa Raza said the provincial government was adopting a proactive and science-based approach to tackle smog through continuous monitoring, modern enforcement techniques and coordinated field operations.
“Every regional office has been assigned clear targets for the pre-smog campaign. Enforcement teams will remain active in the field, while decisions will be guided by real-time environmental monitoring data.
Industries must operate effective emission control systems, construction sites must implement dust suppression measures, and smoke-emitting vehicles will not be allowed to enter urban centers unchecked.”
He added that the EPA would continue strengthening coordination among all directorates, district administrations and enforcement agencies to ensure cleaner air and better environmental compliance across Punjab before the arrival of the smog season.
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