LAHORE, Oct 06 (APP):With smog remediation efforts entering a critical phase, the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an aggressive campaign against vehicular emissions in Lahore, deploying 10 dedicated teams at major roads and city entry points to identify and remove highly polluting vehicles from the roads.
The operation aimed at cutting one of the major sources of urban air pollution before smog conditions intensify. EPA teams have been deployed at Thokar Niaz Baig, Multan Road, Pine Avenue, Ferozepur Road, Canal Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Jail Road, Mall Road, Shahdara and Saggian entry points.
The campaign has been designed as a preventive smog-remediation measure, with officials instructed to test vehicles for emissions exceeding the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS). Rather than waiting for air quality to deteriorate further, the department is moving to identify high-emission vehicles on major traffic corridors and prevent them from contributing to the city’s pollution burden.
Under the operation, vehicles emitting excessive smoke will face strict enforcement action, including impounding, while all vehicles coming under inspection will be checked for compliance with environmental standards.
Vehicles without the required green stickers will not be tolerated, and the enforcement teams will maintain records of vehicles tested, their emission readings, compliance status and action taken. The official deployment order specifically requires each team to record registration numbers, vehicle category, emission readings and enforcement action.
The crackdown was carried out under the direction of EPA Punjab Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh, who ordered that the deployment remain effective until further orders.
Traffic personnel were also being attached with the EPA teams to facilitate the safe stopping and checking of vehicles, manage traffic and support enforcement action. The department has further directed the provision of vehicle emission analysers to the teams so that vehicles can be assessed through proper emission testing rather than visual inspection alone.
The 10-squad deployment gives the operation coverage across some of Lahore’s busiest arteries and major entry points, allowing environmental officials to intercept potentially high-emission vehicles before they continue operating across the city.
The EPA has also established a reporting mechanism under which the deployed teams will submit daily consolidated reports to the Deputy Director (Field), Lahore, with progress subsequently shared with the department’s Strategy and Analysis Wing.
The move comes as Punjab steps up preparations for the smog season, with the department adopting a more aggressive approach towards pollution sources. The focus on vehicular emissions is intended to ensure that smoke-emitting vehicles do not become a continuing source of pollution as atmospheric conditions become increasingly favourable for smog formation.
Officials say the message for vehicle owners is clear: vehicles that fail environmental emission standards will not be allowed to operate unchecked on Lahore’s roads. Excessive smoke, non-compliance and failure to meet environmental requirements will trigger enforcement action as part of the province’s wider smog-remediation strategy.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
