'Punjab smog mitigation is not seasonal'
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that smog mitigation is no longer a seasonal exercise but part of a year-round environmental strategy.
The remarks came as the air quality reading in Lahore averaged 79 on the AQI scale on Tuesday — a 'moderate' level as per the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) monitoring data.
According to the EPA report for 7:00am to 3:00pm, the highest Air Quality Index readings were recorded at UET Lahore (116) and Egerton Road (114), both in the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' category.
In contrast, the lowest levels were observed at Jandiala Kalsan (44), falling within the 'good' range.
Amid the anti-smog efforts. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a new sanitation fleet for all districts of Punjab, providing 700 state-of-the-art waste management vehicles and machines to improve cleanliness and environmental sustainability.
She handed over keys of the new sanitation fleet to the chief secretary and commissioners.
The chief minister inspected the newly procured machinery at Fortress Stadium, including high-pressure jetting machines for deep sewer cleaning, suction units, de-silting machines for clearing blockages, winching machines for removing solid waste and advanced tractor-trolleys for rapid waste transfer.
Speaking at a briefing, the senior minister said, "Smog is directly linked to both environmental sustainability and public health," adding that the government had taken "concrete and practical measures" to address the issue.
She said the provincial government is focusing on electric bus services and the distribution of electric bikes. "Farmers have been provided over 4,000 super seeders, and 5,000 more will be distributed this year to curb crop burning," she added.
The senior minister said new AQI monitoring machines are being installed in Lahore through collaboration between the Lahore Development Authority and Parks and Horticulture Authority, while the forest department continues extensive tree-planting campaigns to absorb carbon and dust pollutants.
She said 15 smog guns have also been imported, and Punjab is the first province conducting regular fuel quality inspections.
She said major public buildings are being converted to solar energy, and AQI clocks will soon be installed across the city to inform the citizens about air quality levels in real time.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast mainly dry weather across most parts of the country this week, though isolated rain and thunderstorms may occur in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and parts of Kashmir.
A separate advisory warned that the River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala is expected to reach medium flood levels within 24 hours, likely to sustain for two days.
District administrations and line departments have been instructed to ensure round-the-clock staffing in emergency operation centres, activate early warning systems, and deploy rescue and heavy machinery in at-risk areas.
The forecast added that a remnant of Cyclone Shakti over the west-central Arabian Sea is weakening into a depression, while a weak westerly wave continues to affect northern Pakistan.