Smog: 55 industrial units sealed in Lahore for polluting air

As the city’s atmosphere continues to deteriorate, the district administration in Lahore has sealed 55 industrial units and slapped heavy penalties for polluting air in the provincial capital.

In wake of smog and a high level of environmental pollution, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali on Monday highlighted that the district administration has launched a stringent crackdown against smoke-emitting industries and vehicles in the city.

The authorities had inspected 191 industrial units during the past four days out of which over four dozen units were sealed over emitting smoke and polluting air.

The deputy commissioner said that all industrial units which were closed down had not installed the requisite equipment to control emissions. The administration also imposed a Rs200,000 fine on these units for not adhering to environmental laws.

Read more: Lahore records worst air quality

Similarly, during the pollution checking drive, out of a total of 423 vehicles inspected, the authorities challaned 183 vehicles and impounded 27 others for emitting smoke into the environment. A fine of Rs266,000 had also been imposed on smoke-emitting vehicles.

He said that local administration is further improving its system to check and control smog. Farmers have been informed about ban on burning crop residue in the fields and strict action would be taken against violators. Awareness is also given to school children about smog hazards for which special sessions were being conducted in different educational institutes.

The latest atmospheric pollution data shows that Lahore continued to fall among the top polluted cities in the world followed by Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Portland, USA. Data highlights that PM2.5 concentration in Lahore was recorded 11 times higher than the WHO annual air quality guideline value.