LAHORE: The Punjab government has taken action against 64 units contributing to air pollution and smog in the provincial capital.

“More than 64 illegal pollution-causing units have been proceeded against in Lahore during the past 15 days,” Senior Provincial Minister for Environment Marriyum Aurangzeb said here on Thursday.

She added that the government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against activities endangering public health and ordered environmental authorities to expand enforcement operations from major urban centres to the union council level.

According to her, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been directed to launch a province-wide operation against illegal industrial units operating in residential areas, industrial zones and other locations in violation of environmental laws.

“Smog elimination remains the chief minister’s top priority and no illegal plant or unit contributing to environmental degradation will be spared,” Ms Aurangzeb said, warning that violators would face strict legal action, including the demolition of illegal facilities and registration of criminal cases.

She said 374 illegal units had been shut down across the province over the last two years.

The recent operations focused on facilities allegedly involved in melting animal fat, burning animal waste and disposing of garbage through open burning — activities blamed for emitting smoke, foul odour and hazardous pollutants.

Officials said enforcement teams carried out raids on several illegal fat-melting units operating in and around cattle markets where environmental laws were allegedly being violated through the processing of animal waste and open burning of refuse.

Ms Aurangzeb said the activities had caused severe air pollution and persistent foul smell in surrounding localities, prompting complaints from residents. Acting on these complaints, the authorities sealed a number of facilities and confiscated machinery used in the operations.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026