The Punjab Environment Protection Department has launched a targeted “green lockdown” in selected parts of Lahore to tackle escalating levels of smog and air pollution.
A departmental notice outlines several high-risk pollution zones, including Davis Road, Egerton Road, Durand Road, and Kashmir Road, along with the areas stretching from Shimla Hill to Gulshan Cinema and Abbot Road, and from Shimla Hill to the Railway Station and Empress Road. The vicinity of Queen Mary Road has also been marked as a high-pollution area.
Under the lockdown measures, all construction work is halted within these zones to reduce smog. Commercial generators and three-wheeled auto-rickshaws (chingchi rickshaws) are also banned, and open-air barbecues must cease by 8 PM.
Earlier, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan convened a special session on Wednesday to address the severe smog crisis in Punjab, emphasizing the urgent need for action due to hazardous pollution levels. He urged Assembly members to prioritize their attendance at this session.
During the session, minority group government members expressed grievances against the provincial minister for minority affairs, reporting inadequate security at their worship sites and events.
Assembly Member Hamida Wahiduddin proposed a resolution regarding domestic issues, including the mistreatment of transgender individuals and dancers at marriage ceremonies, which the speaker assigned to a committee for review.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the state of the Department of Minerals’ infrastructure, the speaker cited corruption, favoritism, and unauthorized contracts as primary causes of its decline.
Malik Ahmad Khan directed Provincial Minister for Minerals Sardar Sher Ali Gurchani to ensure his presence at the rescheduled meeting on Wednesday at 11:00 am.
