LAHORE BUREAU REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that improving air quality is only the beginning, and that making Punjab an environmentally friendly province remains the ultimate goal. She emphasized that despite recent gains, significant work is still required to eliminate smog and pollution, urging the public to continue supporting the government’s efforts.
According to official data, Lahore’s air quality has shown remarkable progress due to the Chief Minister’s aggressive environmental initiatives. Air quality in November improved by 42% compared to the same month last year. Out of 30 days in November, 23 days recorded a clearly better Air Quality Index (AQI) than in 2024. Last year, Lahore’s AQI in November averaged 453, whereas this year it dropped to 261, marking a substantial decline in pollution levels.
During Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s 18-month tenure, historic steps were taken to combat environmental degradation. These included new legislation, strict enforcement of environmental laws, deployment of modern machinery, and wide use of advanced technologies for environmental protection.
For the first time in Punjab’s history, a comprehensive vision was introduced to make every sector environmentally sustainable. Initiatives to protect forests and expand tree-planting campaigns also contributed to the decline in pollution.
The Chief Minister credited the improvement in air quality to the combined efforts of government institutions and public cooperation. “This year’s improvement in November’s air quality is the result of hard work and public support,” she said, thanking citizens and commending all departments involved. “Improving air quality is only the beginning; creating an eco-friendly Punjab is our final destination.”
Maryam Nawaz added that Punjab is now equipped with a modern forecasting system and is actively using technology, monitoring tools, and surveillance to regulate brick kilns and industrial units through QR-coded environmental control systems.
She praised the performance of “super seeders,” noting that 5,000 of these machines were deployed across the province, leading to a record reduction in incidents of crop-residue burning. However, she cautioned that falling temperatures mean the province is entering a more challenging period. “There is still a lot of work to do against air pollution and smog, and the public must continue to stand with us,” she stressed.