The Punjab government has accelerated its environmental enforcement campaign to combat air pollution, targeting more than 64 illegal, pollution-emitting units in Lahore over the past fortnight. The targeted operations form part of a broader, province-wide crackdown aimed at eliminating sources of smog and hazardous emissions.
Senior Provincial Minister for Environment Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed that the administration has shut down 374 illegal units over the last two years for generating smoke and foul odours. Reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance stance, the Minister stated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been directed to expand grand operations down to the union council level to identify and dismantle non-compliant facilities operating within industrial zones, major cities, and residential areas.
The current phase of the campaign has focused heavily on illegal fat-melting facilities and operations involved in burning animal waste or by-products. In a recent targeted action near the city’s cattle market, environmental enforcement teams raided and sealed several units caught melting animal fat and burning waste openly. The EPA teams confiscated machinery on-site following numerous public complaints regarding the hazardous air quality and persistent foul smells blanketing adjacent neighbourhoods.
Minister Aurangzeb warned that all activities contributing to smog remain strictly banned across the province. Violators who refuse to voluntarily halt unlawful operations will face severe legal consequences, including the demolition of their facilities and the registration of criminal cases. Local residents have widely supported the enforcement drive, noting that sustained actions are vital to reducing health risks and improving the province’s overall air quality.
