By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has decided to launch a province-wide crackdown against marriage halls, banquet halls and marquees operating without effective suction hood systems, with non-compliant establishments facing closure, sealing and heavy fines.
The decision comes after the expiry of the grace period granted to marriage halls for installation of mandatory suction hood systems. January 31, 2026, was the final deadline for compliance, and the EPA has now made it clear that no further concession will be given to establishments that failed to install the required systems.
DG EPA Punjab Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed field formations to intensify inspections of marriage halls and take strict action against venues found operating without effective suction hoods. He made it clear that environmental regulations would not be compromised and that establishments failing to meet the mandatory requirement would face enforcement action.
Under the new enforcement drive, any marriage hall found without a properly installed and functional suction hood system will be liable to closure or sealing along with heavy fines. The action will apply irrespective of whether the venue is currently hosting a function or operating on a routine basis.
The EPA has categorically treated the installation of suction hoods as a mandatory environmental requirement rather than a voluntary measure. Marriage halls were provided sufficient time to comply with the requirement, but those that failed to do so despite the January 31 deadline will now face enforcement.
DG Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed officers to ensure that inspections are not limited to paperwork or notices and that actual functioning of suction hood systems is checked at the premises. Establishments found using ineffective, non-functional or inadequate systems will also be proceeded against under the applicable environmental regulations.
The EPA has already begun taking similarly strict action against restaurants operating without proper suction hood systems. The crackdown against non-compliant restaurants is already underway, with more than 500 restaurants having been sealed so far for violations related to kitchen emissions and failure to comply with the mandatory suction hood requirement.
The restaurant crackdown is being cited by the EPA as a clear indication that the department is moving from warnings and grace periods towards direct enforcement against commercial establishments contributing to air pollution.
According to the agency, commercial kitchens without effective suction systems release cooking smoke, grease-laden fumes and particulate emissions directly into the surrounding environment. The problem becomes particularly significant in densely populated urban areas where large numbers of restaurants and marriage halls operate.
DG EPA Punjab Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed enforcement teams to maintain strict monitoring and ensure that no non-compliant marriage hall is allowed to continue operations merely on the basis of previous notices or expired compliance periods.
The EPA has also warned that heavy fines will accompany sealing and closure proceedings against establishments found violating the environmental requirements. Owners and managements of marriage halls have been urged to ensure immediate compliance rather than waiting for enforcement teams to reach their premises.
Officials said the purpose of the action is not merely to penalise businesses but to ensure that commercial cooking facilities install effective emission-control systems and stop the uncontrolled release of pollutants into the atmosphere.
The crackdown forms part of Punjab’s wider pre-smog enforcement campaign under which the EPA is targeting pollution sources across the province. Industries, brick kilns, restaurants, commercial cooking points and high-emitting vehicles are already facing intensified inspections and enforcement.
DG Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed field officers to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards environmental violations, particularly as Punjab enters the critical pre-smog period. The agency is using inspections and technology-based monitoring to identify sources of emissions and ensure compliance.
For marriage halls, the message from the EPA is now unequivocal: the January 31, 2026 grace period has expired. The time for further concessions is over. Any marriage hall operating without an effective suction hood will face closure or sealing and heavy financial penalties.
The EPA has directed its field formations across Punjab to step up inspections and ensure that marriage halls failing to comply with the mandatory requirement are dealt with strictly under environmental laws.
With more than 500 restaurants already sealed in the ongoing suction-hood crackdown, the EPA’s next major enforcement push will put marriage halls across Punjab under the scanner.
