LAHORE: The Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda) has intensified anti-smog operations in its jurisdiction to augment the efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Punjab.

It is pertinent to note that stubble burning, burning of solid waste etc have already been banned in the Ruda area. The industry in Ruda’s jurisdiction is being frequently inspected for installation of scrubbers, and in the last two months, many pyrolysis plants have been dismantled and made dysfunctional. The factories in the Ravi City are made to adhere to the emission control measures. Smoke, soot and emission emitters are routinely fined and non-adherents are sealed.

According to a spokesperson, Ruda is undertaking mitigation and correction measures through active and passive measures. All vehicles carrying sand, mud, or construction material must cover their loads before travelling on roads to prevent dust from spreading. The move is part of a broader plan to address sources contributing to the city’s recurring smog crisis. Moreover, heavy fines are being imposed on vehicle owners found breaching environmental laws.

The provincial government has emphasised strict implementation and accountability to achieve visible improvement in air quality as these measures would help control pollution and encourage long-term behavioural change among transporters and industries. With continuous monitoring and strict enforcement, Ruda hopes to significantly reduce the impact of vehicular and industrial pollution before the start of peak smog season.

free education: It is the need of the hour to provide the youth free and standard education to raise their skill and knowledge for becoming self-reliant and eliminating ignorance and unemployment in the country.

This was stated by All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union Secretary General Khurshid Ahmad while addressing the students of the Bakhtiar Memorial Computer Education Centre at the Labour Hall on Thursday.

He said Wapda had opened schools and colleges to provide free education to the children of its employees. He advised the students to improve their education of computer studies and spare no effort to achieve success for equipping themselves with character, skill and knowledge development.

The union leader urged the government to allocate adequate resources for providing free education to each child as more than 30 million children have no access to education due to poverty.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2025