LHC sounds alarm as Bahawalpur records Punjab's worst AQI

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday expressed concern over the worsening air quality across Punjab, highlighting Bahawalpur's record-high Air Quality Index (AQI) while criticising authorities for failing to curb pollution from vehicles and construction activity.

Justice Shahid Karim was hearing multiple petitions pertaining to smog control, environmental protection, and groundwater conservation.

He questioned why smoke-emitting vehicles continued to operate freely despite ongoing anti-smog campaigns, stating that senior officers of the Environment Department "must be visible on the roads" to ensure compliance and encourage responsible behaviour among citizens.

The court noted that Bahawalpur currently has the highest AQI in the province and sought an explanation from officials for the alarming spike.

Justice Karim further remarked that Lahore's ongoing construction activity was generating excessive dust, undermining all anti-smog measures. "If this level of dust continues, then anti-smog efforts are useless," he observed.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of government institutions, Justice Karim criticised the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) for what he described as ineffective action and repeated attempts to evade accountability.

He directed LDA to submit a detailed report on forest areas under its jurisdiction and ordered WASA to provide an update on the installation of water meters.

During the proceedings, the judge praised LDA's redevelopment work at Neela Gumbad, noting that it would ease long-standing parking issues while helping preserve the area's heritage. Separately, the LDA submitted a detailed report on road rehabilitation projects across Lahore.