LAHORE: Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman said on Wednesday that 22 cases were registered against the people involved in causing pollution and a fine of Rs1.8 million was imposed on different industrial units under anti-smog operations.

He visited different areas of the city for inspection. He checked brick kilns and suggested strict action over violation of anti-smog standard operating procedures (SOPs).

As many as 161 industrial units were sealed during surprise visits in different areas of the city and 200 vehicles emitting smoke were also impounded.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Umar Sher Chattha said strict action would be taken against the area supervisors and in charge who did not take action against the people involved in setting the waste on fire. He said Rs100,000 fine should be imposed on the high rise building administration for dumping the construction material on roads.

He said no one would be allowed to pollute the environment.

Meanwhile, under the anti-smog operation, industrial units and factories causing pollution in different areas of the city were sealed and heavy fines were imposed.

In a weeklong inspection, 18 industrial units were closed and 60 others were sealed for one week.

The teams also imposed fines on the people involved in setting rice waste on fire.

Earlier, according to a Swiss air quality monitoring company, the provincial capital on Wednesday has again earned it the ignominious title of the world’s most polluted city.

Platform IQAir said Lahore now stands at the top of its polluted ranking with an air quality index of 203 on the US AQI scale versus runner-up Dehli, India, with 183.

Increasing smog and particle-laden air have sickened thousands of people with respiratory and other illnesses.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2021