Lahore:The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has intensified its pre-smog enforcement campaign, with 2,710 brick kilns inspected, 51 demolished, 51 sealed and 45 first information reports (FIRs) registered across the province during the last week.
The crackdown forms part of a wider strategy to curb pollution before the onset of the smog season, with Director General Abdullah Nayyer Sheikh conducting surprise field visits to review enforcement operations and strengthen preventive measures.
The consolidated enforcement figures show that fines of Rs10.4 million were imposed on brick kilns for environmental violations. The department is pursuing action against high-emission sources through inspections, demolitions, sealing and legal proceedings to ensure compliance with environmental standards.
Sheikh has also inspected Quick Response Units (QRUs) deployed along the Gujranwala-Sialkot Motorway to review arrangements for preventing crop-residue burning. The department has deployed QRUs across 10 hotspot districts, supported by 67 fire-response drones, to strengthen surveillance and ensure a rapid response to stubble-burning incidents.
Continuous patrolling along motorways and major highways is under way to detect fires involving crop residue and scrub burning. The surveillance network is designed to identify fire incidents promptly, establish their locations through drone monitoring and alert field teams so that immediate action can be taken. The deployment combines aerial surveillance, road patrols and field enforcement to prevent smoke from agricultural fires from adding to the pollution burden during the critical pre-smog period.
Industrial pollution has also remained a major enforcement priority. Across Punjab, 1,510 industrial units were inspected, 41 sealed and one FIR registered. Fines amounting to Rs4.1 million were imposed for environmental violations. The inspections are intended to identify non-compliant industrial operations and prevent excessive emissions from contributing to deteriorating air quality.
The crackdown against illegal plastic use and related environmental violations resulted in 1,546 inspections, 235 notices and the confiscation of 7,823 kilogrammes of plastic. A total of 35 premises were sealed, while fines of Rs463,500 were imposed.
Commercial cooking establishments, particularly barbecue restaurants and other high-emission food outlets, were also targeted. The consolidated figures show 1,068 inspections or visits to establishments covered by the suction-hood monitoring programme. Of these, 497 units had suction hoods installed, while 82 were sealed. Four smog notices were issued during the additional reported operation, 13 commercial cooking points were facilitated in installing suction hoods, and fines of Rs471,000 were imposed.
To control fugitive dust from construction activities, the department monitored 69 union councils, issued 31 notices and reported the installation of mist sprinklers at seven locations. No sealing action or fines were recorded under this category.
The department also conducted five visits related to water pollution. No premises were sealed, FIRs registered or fines imposed, and no water recycler installations were recorded.
Abdullah Nayyer Sheikh has reiterated the department’s commitment to taking action against environmental violators without discrimination. The enforcement campaign combines surprise inspections, action against brick kilns and industrial units, monitoring of commercial cooking establishments, and technology-assisted surveillance of stubble-burning hotspots.
The department’s strategy is focused on early intervention against pollution sources, continuous patrolling along major transport corridors and rapid response to fire incidents to reduce emissions before the peak smog period.