As 2025 draws to a close, Punjab’s environmental landscape reflects a complex mix of policy ambition, gaps in law enforcement, and lingering threats to public health from air pollution and worsening smog. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD), under increasing pressure from the courts, civil society and international climate observers, has struggled throughout the year to balance its regulatory responsibilities with industrial and municipal pressures. The province entered 2025 with promises of aggressive reforms, digitalized monitoring, stricter emissions tracking and coordinated anti-smog plans. Yet, despite the policy announcements, the province continued to witness dangerous air quality index (AQI) episodes, particularly in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura. Annual AQI trends remained within "unhealthy" has "very unhealthy" for more than half the year, highlighting the scale of the environmental crisis. During the previous winter, Lahore once again ranked among the most polluted cities in the world. The EPD’s seasonal anti-smog measures – closure of polluting brick kilns, industrial inspections, dust controls and traffic management plans – have produced only brief improvements. Many ovens clandestinely resumed traditional cooking methods, while small industrial units continued to operate without emissions filters. EPD officials admitted that "compliance remained inconsistent due to staff shortages," a recurring problem in the ministry’s enforcement capacity. One of the most controversial issues of 2025 was construction-related pollution. Several large development projects have been flagged for generating too much dust and violating environmental guidelines. sites received notices and fines, but civil society organizations claimed enforcement was symbolic rather than corrective. Residents of Lahore complained of uncontrolled dust clouds in major corridors, including Ferozepur Road, Ring Road localities and central business districts.
Smog, monitoring and slow progress
