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Lahore

Breathe If You Can!

Smog in Punjab has become an enduring environmental and governance crisis, becoming a “new normal” in the winter when the sun is obscured, but the lack of action is all too visible

By Prof. S. Shafiq ur Rehman | December 2025


Air pollution, particularly in the form of seasonal smog, has emerged as one of the gravest environmental and public health crises in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Once considered an episodic phenomenon, smog has now become a recurring and prolonged “fifth season,” severely impairing visibility, health, and economic activity every winter. Outside the smog season (October to February), Lahore is also frequently ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world, epitomizing this crisis. Despite several policy and operational initiatives undertaken by the Punjab Government since 2016, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has consistently expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s performance, citing weak enforcement and insufficient coordination. Similarly, reported public views about smog management reflect their frustration and skepticism.

This article reviews the government’s major anti-smog measures, outlines the LHC’s criticisms, analyzes systemic deficiencies, and identifies the structural and governance reforms required to transform Punjab’s smog management from a reactive to a preventive model.

Smog, the “New Normal”
Although the roots of Punjab’s air pollution can be traced back to the rapid industrialization and vehicular expansion of the 1990s, smog became a persistent and annual phenomenon around 2016–17. Data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Air Quality Open Data Platform (AQICN) reveal that since 2016, Lahore has experienced intense smog episodes almost every year between October and February. Meteorological conditions—cooler temperatures, low wind speed, and thermal inversion—trap pollutants from vehicles, industries, brick kilns, and agricultural residue burning close to the ground, creating a thick blanket of haze.

By 2024, the smog season began as early as October and extended well into February, signaling that Punjab’s air pollution is no longer seasonal but structural. Media and public discourse have started referring to it as an expected “fifth season,” illustrating both environmental persistence and societal resignation.

Government’s Anti-Smog Measures
The Punjab Government has introduced several policies, regulations, and operational actions in recent years, with notable acceleration since 2023. These initiatives can be grouped into legislative, enforcement, technological, and public engagement categories. The legislative work includes the Smog Prevention and Control Rules (2023), which provided legal authority to ban open burning, inspect and fine violators, and coordinate between departments. Punjab Clean Air Policy and Smog Mitigation Action Plan (2024–25) outlined sector-specific measures across transport, agriculture, industry, and energy. Similarly, Clean Air / Smog Mitigation Action Plan (SMAP 2025), supported by a US$300 million World Bank concessional loan (March 2025), aims to institutionalize long-term emission reduction and monitoring.

To manage crop residue effectively, not only has a ban been imposed on stubble burning and heavy fines levied on violators, but Super Seeders and straw-shredder machinery have been provided to farmers at 60% subsidized rates to enable in-field residue management. More recently, drone surveillance and “e-squads” have been deployed to detect illegal burning (2025 onward).

To control industrial and vehicular emissions, EPA enforcement squads inspect and seal polluting factories and kilns. By December 2024, over 1,300 brick kilns and 480 factories were sealed for non-compliance. Vehicle fitness drives and roadside inspections targeting smoke-emitting vehicles are carried out. Other proposals include replacing vehicles older than 20 years, mandatory use of catalytic converters, and transition to Euro-V fuel.


The list of public-health measures includes emergency smog lockdowns (November 2023 and November 2024), as well as the closure of schools, parks, and offices when the AQI reached hazardous levels. In addition, dust suppression measures, such as water sprinkling on roads, the use of mechanical sweepers, and temporary bans on construction, were implemented. It also includes deployment of anti-smog mist cannons and trials of “smog-war rooms” for real-time decision-making. Other interventions in this regard comprise expansion of Air Quality Monitoring Stations to all districts (38 installed, 41 planned by 2025), an AI-based air-quality forecasting system launched in 2025, the Green Punjab mobile app and helpline 1373 for public reporting of violations, and regular awareness campaigns and school education drives on clean-air practices.

Judicial Oversight and LHC’s Critique
Despite these efforts, the Lahore High Court has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction, especially during smog peaks in 2023–25. The court’s observations reveal deep structural deficiencies, such as Implementation gaps due to limited on-ground action in terms of vehicle checks, kiln closures, and waste-burning controls, which are inconsistently enforced.

Symbolic measures: The court also questioned the efficacy of anti-smog guns and frequent lockdowns, calling them optical solutions that lack a measurable impact.

Under-addressed transport sector: The court noted that over two-thirds of Lahore’s air pollution originates from vehicular emissions, yet policies remain focused elsewhere.

Poor inter-departmental coordination: As different government departments act in silos, the command chains are unclear.

Reactive posture: Most interventions begin only after AQI levels cross hazardous thresholds.

Weak monitoring and data transparency: The court sought verified evidence of enforcement and air quality improvement, which departments often failed to provide.

Limited public participation: Public non-compliance, characterized by persistent burning, poor waste management, and unregulated construction, suggests limited citizen participation.

Shifting of responsibility: Officials frequently attribute smog to cross-border pollution, diverting focus from domestic sources. The court’s consistent stance underscores that Punjab’s challenge lies not in the absence of policy, but in the quality of execution and institutional accountability.

Likely Deficiencies: Structural Analysis
A review of Punjab’s anti-smog framework reveals five core deficiencies namely, (i) Weak Enforcement Capacity, made evident by the lack of manpower, resources, and authority for rapid on-spot action, (ii) Siloed Governance – Environment, Agriculture, Transport, and Police departments operate independently without unified command or integrated monitoring, (iii) Insufficient Data Infrastructure – Real-time, credible data for AQI, emissions, and compliance remain limited, making evaluation difficult, (iv) Behavioral and Incentive Gaps –farmers and industries face weak incentives for clean practices; citizens receive limited awareness and feedback, and (v) Lack of Institutional Accountability –performance indicators for government departments are input-based (activities conducted) rather than outcome-based (AQI reduction).

Policy Remedies and Strategic Reforms
Based on judicial guidance and best practices, the following reforms could strengthen Punjab’s smog-control architecture:
• Establishment of the Punjab Clean Air Coordination Council (PCACC), chaired by the Chief Minister, with binding cross-departmental powers.
• Setting up District Smog Control Command Centres under each Deputy Commissioner for unified operations.
• Creating a network of Environmental Magistrates for swift trial and fines.
• Mandate monthly public reporting of enforcement actions through a live dashboard.
• Implement annual fitness testing for all vehicles.
• Phase out aging public and freight vehicles and enforce Euro-V fuel standards.
• Incentivize electric vehicles and low-emission public transport fleets.
• Expand AQI monitoring to all districts; deploy mobile monitoring vans.
• Publish quarterly emission inventories validated by third-party audits.
• Link AI-based forecasts with early-action protocols for local governments.
• Launch a sustained Clean Air Punjab campaign integrating schools, media, and community organizations.
• Introduce Green Industry Scorecards with fiscal rewards for compliance and public recognition.
• Implement Performance Contracts for key officials with air-quality KPIs.
• Require quarterly progress reports to the LHC and the Standing Committee on Environment.

Punjab’s struggle against smog reveals the complexity of environmental governance in a rapidly urbanizing province. While technical measures—such as machinery subsidies, anti-smog cannons, or AI forecasting—are visible progress markers, their effectiveness depends on the quality of governance: coordination, transparency, and political will. The LHC’s active oversight has compelled administrative responsiveness, yet a sustainable solution requires mainstreaming clean air into urban planning, transport policy, and agricultural modernization.

Furthermore, climate change exacerbates the smog cycle by altering wind and precipitation patterns, thereby extending and intensifying the traditional “smog season.” Thus, Punjab must view air quality management as part of its climate resilience and public health agenda, not a temporary environmental issue.

The Way Forward
Smog in Punjab has become an enduring environmental and governance crisis. Since 2016, the province has experienced annual smog episodes that have now become a defining characteristic of a “new normal.” The Punjab Government has responded with a series of policies—ranging from the Smog Prevention Rules 2023 to the Smog Mitigation Action Plan 2024–25—but judicial scrutiny by the Lahore High Court exposes persistent implementation gaps.
Bridging these gaps demands a shift from activity-driven bureaucracy to evidence-based governance, rooted in measurable outcomes and institutional accountability. The adoption of the recommended reforms—stronger coordination councils, enforceable performance contracts, data transparency, and citizen participation—could finally move Punjab toward sustained air-quality improvement.

Only when clean air becomes a shared administrative and societal priority will smog cease to be Punjab’s “new normal.”

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