Pakistan's Punjab strengthens multi-tier framework to curb smog and pollution

ISLAMABAD: High pollution levels and smog in Pakistan’s Punjab province during the winter months have become a continuing challenge for the administration in the last decade.

Over the years, Punjab has implemented a comprehensive provincial framework, including specialized agencies and programs such as the Punjab Clean Air Program, to combat smog and improve air quality.

There are several organizations under the Punjab government responsible for ensuring the environment remains clean. These include the following:

Environment Protection & Climate Change Department, Government of Punjab (EP&CCD Punjab)

According to the provincial department’s website, the “Environment Protection Department, Punjab created Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is responsible for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment; the prevention and control of pollution and promotion of sustainable development in the province.”

“EPA sustains qualitative and quantitative standards for the discharge of effluents, wastes, air emissions or noise either for general applicability or for a particular area or from a particular source in the form of Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS) and other standards established under the laws, rules and regulations,” according to its website.

The sections working under the department include: a complaint cell, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental laboratories, and a Directorate of Environmental Health, Dengue Control, and Hazardous Waste.

Other separate sections within the department include implementation, legal aspects, research and investigation, and technology transfer.

Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP)

The Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP) is a flagship initiative by the Government of Punjab, supported by the World Bank.

According to the program's website, "It aims to reduce ambient air pollution — especially PM2.5 — by addressing emission sources in the transport, agriculture, and industrial sectors. PCAP also includes behavioral change programs, capacity building, and regulatory reforms aligned with national climate and environmental strategies."

The objectives of the program, which runs from April 2025 to June 2030, include: strengthening air quality management (AQM), reducing PM2.5 exposure in Lahore Division, implementing sustainable transport and agricultural practices, and empowering citizens through awareness and behavior change.

The executing agencies of the program are the Planning and Development Board, Punjab, and the Transport and Mass Transit Department.

Transport and Mass Transit Department 

According to its website, the department's mission is to ensure “safe, affordable, and environment-friendly transport for the people of Punjab.”

Some of the initiatives of the department that are in progress include: Punjab Green Development Program (PGDP), Chief Minister’s Interest Free Electric-Taxi scheme, Air Punjab, Induction of Eco-Friendly Buses in Cities of Punjab (DLI-6 PGDP), Third Party Monitoring of Vehicle Inspection and Certification System, and Procurement of Portable Automobile Emission Analyzer Devices for On-field Checking of Smoke Emitting Vehicles in Punjab. 

Establishment of Vehicles Testing Lab (PRSA), Development of Urban Bus Depot and Allied Infrastructure for Electric Buses in Lahore under the Punjab Clean Air Program (P-CAP) by the World Bank, and Feasibility and Seed Money for the Establishment of Air Punjab are also in progress.

Other initiatives of the department focus on reducing pollution levels, including the Induction of eco-friendly buses in Rajanpur, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur divisions.