Lahore / Islamabad: MNN
A high-level delegation from the U.S. Consulate General visited the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Lahore, where Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb welcomed the delegation. Provincial ministers and senior government officials were also present.
During the visit, the delegation toured the EPA’s state-of-the-art control room and received a detailed briefing on Punjab’s environmental monitoring systems, air quality surveillance, industrial emissions monitoring, meteorological data, and other technology-driven initiatives aimed at combating pollution.
Briefing the delegation, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Lahore was ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in November 2024, but the air quality has since improved significantly due to targeted interventions launched under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
She said the Punjab government had strengthened the EPA by providing it with greater authority, modern technology, and additional resources, enabling the department to implement comprehensive environmental reforms across the province.
Aurangzeb highlighted that the use of Super Seeders has been made mandatory to discourage the burning of crop residue, one of the major contributors to seasonal smog. She noted that when the current government took office, Punjab had only 250 Super Seeders, whereas more than 7,500 are now being used by farmers. The provincial government aims to increase the number to over 15,000 by next year, while subsidizing 60 percent of the cost under the “Smog-Free Punjab” initiative.
The senior minister said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has allocated the largest environmental and climate-related budget in Punjab’s history over the past two years, significantly strengthening the Environment, Forest, Wildlife, and Climate Change departments with modern technologies.
She also announced that Punjab is establishing Pakistan’s and the region’s first Climate Change Observatory, which will serve as a comprehensive data hub for monitoring climate change, heatwaves, wind patterns, and building climate resilience.
Officials informed the delegation that industrial units across Punjab are being monitored around the clock, while all EPA field officers have been equipped with body cameras. They added that all brick kilns in Punjab have been converted to zigzag technology, and Lahore’s motorways, shopping malls, and model bazaars have been declared plastic-free zones, with plans to gradually expand the initiative to commercial markets across the province.
The delegation was further briefed on strict dust-control measures at construction sites, an automated robocall alert system for environmental violations, and continuous surveillance of polluting activities through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority.
Officials also highlighted the introduction of a transparent online hearing and licensing system, live GPS tracking of EPA vehicles and officers, and continuous monitoring of wind direction, heatwaves, and ambient air quality.
The U.S. delegation observed Lahore’s live Air Quality Index (AQI) through the Air Quality Management System and received a demonstration of the Punjab AQI mobile application, which provides citizens with real-time air quality updates. They were also briefed on the province’s vehicle emissions testing system aimed at reducing transport-related pollution.
At the conclusion of the visit, the U.S. delegation expressed keen interest in Punjab’s environmental reforms, smog mitigation strategy, and the growing use of technology for environmental protection and monitoring.
