The Lahore High Court has ordered strict action against smoke-emitting vehicles as part of efforts to curb rising smog levels in the provincial capital.
During the hearing of a smog control case, the judge directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure its officers conduct on-road monitoring. The court remarked that EPA directors must be present on roads to personally check which vehicles are releasing smoke.
The court noted that the Air Quality Index (AQI) had improved over the past two to three days but stressed the need to sustain progress. Seeking duty rosters of EPA officials, the judge ordered their deployment at Lahore’s entry and exit points as well as on motorways.
“When I travel on the road, I see dozens of vehicles emitting smoke. Why can’t your officials see them?” the judge remarked, adding that action must be taken without leniency. The court also instructed that awareness banners be displayed across the city and that traffic police be made part of the campaign.
A member of the Judicial Commission informed the court that trucks emitting around 60 tonnes of carbon had been seized and 16 illegal rickshaw workshops had been sealed. The court directed authorities to intensify operations across Lahore and Punjab, with the aim of ensuring that no smoke-emitting vehicle is seen on the roads within the next two weeks.
