Key takeaways: Punjab has formed a 750-member Environmental Protection Force in 67 rapid-response units to extinguish stubble fires. Lahore’s air quality index hit 244 on Saturday, again ranking it the world’s most polluted city, as officials say the crackdown is working.
Punjab has sent a new pollution-fighting force into the rice fields around Lahore to put out stubble fires before their smoke adds to the city’s thick winter smog. The 750-member Environmental Protection Force, in 67 rapid-response units across the province’s main rice-growing districts, is the first force of its kind in Pakistan dedicated to fighting pollution, officials say. It comes as Lahore once again topped the world’s most polluted cities ranking on Saturday morning.
On Thursday, one of the new units was called to a paddy field on the edge of Lahore, where smoke curled low over the stubble. The crew had the fire under control within minutes, keeping its smoke out of the haze over a city IQAir had rated “very unhealthy” earlier in the week.
How the force works
Silwat Saeed, who heads Punjab’s Environment Protection and Climate Change Department, said the force was formed this year and aims to reach a reported fire within 10 to 15 minutes. Units also patrol paddy areas, and residents can report fires through several channels.
“We receive complaints through multiple channels and respond to them in the shortest possible time,” said Ashfaq Hussain, a deputy director of the force.
In one 24-hour period this week, the department received 679 field fire reports across Punjab and said it had extinguished 650.
Fines and an alternative for farmers
Farmers caught burning stubble face fines of Rs15,000 per acre, about $54, said Muhammad Farooq of the Punjab Agriculture Department. Those who do not pay can be prosecuted and face up to six months in jail.
The government has also handed out more than 10,000 subsidised super seeders, machines that sow wheat directly into rice stubble, paying 60 percent of their cost. Muhammad Ismail, who farms 50 acres, said switching to a seeder had significantly increased his wheat yield per acre.
Why the air is so bad
Farmers commonly set leftover rice residue alight after the October harvest to clear fields for wheat. The smoke mixes with industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust and construction dust, and cold winter air traps it close to the ground, pushing pollution to hazardous levels.
Lahore’s air quality index reached 244 early on Saturday, in the “very unhealthy” range. Readings varied sharply: Multan Road recorded 500, while Canal Road, Allama Iqbal Town and Gulberg were all close to 270 or higher. It put Lahore back on top a day after wind and drizzle had briefly cleared its air.
Is the crackdown working?
Patients with breathing problems have crowded Lahore’s hospital corridors in recent days. Yet health department data show smog-related throat hospitalisations last month were only 69 percent of the October 2025 level, according to Abdullah Nayyar, director general of the Punjab Environment Protection Department. Satellites have also detected less burned area in India and Pakistan so far this season than the historical average. Even so, many residents say they have yet to notice any improvement.
Adoption of the seeders is far from universal: many farmers still see burning as the cheapest and fastest way to clear a field. Pakistan and India have each blamed the other for worsening the air in recent years. Saeed said the challenge was huge for both countries and that Pakistan had raised it with Indian officials at international forums. India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
What happens next
The force’s real test comes in the weeks ahead, as the smog season reaches its peak. If the units keep fires down through the worst of winter, Punjab will have evidence that enforcement plus subsidised machinery can cut the smoke at its source. If not, Lahore faces another season of hazardous air, crowded hospitals and days atop a list no city wants to lead.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is Punjab’s new pollution force?
A: A 750-member Environmental Protection Force, organised in 67 rapid-response units across Punjab’s main rice-growing districts. Officials describe it as the first force in Pakistan dedicated to fighting pollution, and its teams aim to reach a reported stubble fire within 10 to 15 minutes.
Q: Why is Lahore’s air so bad in winter?
A: Farmers burn leftover rice residue after the October harvest to clear fields for wheat. That smoke mixes with industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust and construction dust, and cold winter air traps the mixture close to the ground, pushing pollution to hazardous levels.
Q: What happens to farmers who burn stubble?
A: They face fines of Rs15,000 per acre, about $54, and those who do not pay can be prosecuted and face up to six months in jail. The government is also subsidising super seeders, paying 60 percent of their cost, so farmers can sow wheat without burning.
Sources
- Reuters, “As smog hangs over Lahore, Pakistan’s new pollution squad races to douse stubble fires”, November 14, 2026: https://www.arabnews.pk/world/as-smog-hangs-over-lahore-pakistans-new-pollution-squad-races-to-douse-stubble-fires-3007009
- The Thursday Times, “Lahore tops pollution list as Punjab chases stubble fires”, November 14, 2026: https://thursdaytimes.com/2026/11/14/news/political/lahore-world-most-polluted-again-punjab-environmental-protection-force-stubble-fires/
- The Straits Times, “As smog hangs over Lahore, Pakistan’s new pollution squad races to douse stubble fires”, November 14, 2026: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/as-smog-hangs-over-lahore-pakistans-new-pollution-squad-races-to-douse-stubble-fires?ref=latest-headlines
