By Asim Shahzad
Including Lahore, various districts of Punjab have been severely affected by smog, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 350. However, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claims the situation has improved compared to last year due to effective measures taken by the Punjab government.
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Speaking to the media in Lahore, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that unlike previous years when lockdowns were imposed to counter smog, this time such drastic steps were not needed. She said that efforts were underway to curb the burning of crop residues, vehicular emissions, and industrial smoke.
“For the first time in Punjab’s history, 50,000 super seeders have been provided to farmers, covering an area of six hundred thousand hectares,” she stated. “This year, only 700 complaints of crop burning were received.”
The minister added that all brick kilns in the division had been converted to zigzag technology, and environmental control systems were installed in 8,000 industrial units. Fuel testing has been conducted in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Multan for the past eight months, while sprinkler systems have been set up at 3,974 construction sites.
Marriyum Aurangzeb further clarified that there was no need for artificial rain in Lahore at present. “The smog is not so severe that schools should be closed, though school timings may be adjusted,” she concluded.
