Punjab Expands Crackdown on Crop Burning as Smog Returns to Lahore

Pakistani authorities have stepped up efforts to stop farmers burning leftover rice crops as smog returns to Punjab, with a new rapid-response force targeting field fires blamed for worsening the region’s annual air pollution crisis.

On Thursday, members of a newly established unit arrived at a paddy field on the outskirts of Lahore, where smoke was rising from burning crop residue. The team brought the fire under control within minutes, preventing further smoke from spreading towards the city, which Swiss air-quality monitoring group IQAir rated “very unhealthy” earlier this week.

Farmers commonly burn rice stubble after the October harvest to clear fields for the next planting season. The smoke adds to pollution from factories, vehicle emissions and construction dust, which becomes trapped close to the ground during colder winter weather.

Punjab’s Environment Protection and Climate Change Department has established a 750-member force operating through 67 rapid-response units across major rice-growing districts. Officials say teams aim to reach reported fires within 10 to 15 minutes.

Department chief Silwat Saeed said the campaign combined enforcement with support for farmers to adopt alternatives to burning. Deputy director Ashfaq Hussain said complaints were received through several channels, allowing teams to respond quickly.

During a 24-hour period this week, the department received 679 reports of field fires across Punjab and said it extinguished 650.

Farmers caught burning stubble face fines of 15,000 Pakistani rupees ($54) per acre, according to Muhammad Farooq, an assistant director at the Punjab Agriculture Department. Those who fail to pay can face prosecution and possible imprisonment for up to six months.

Authorities are also encouraging farmers to use machinery that clears crop residue without setting it alight. More than 10,000 subsidised super seeders have been distributed, with the government covering 60% of their cost and farmers paying the remaining 40%.

Farmers weigh alternatives as health concerns grow

Muhammad Ismail, who cultivates 50 acres, said switching to a subsidised super seeder and other machinery had significantly improved his wheat yield per acre.

However, adoption remains uneven. Farmer Saleem Abbas said many growers continued to burn stubble because it was widely viewed as the quickest and cheapest way to prepare fields for the next crop.

Satellite observations have shown less land affected by fires in India and Pakistan than the historical average for this point in the year. However, residents in Pakistan say the improvement is difficult to notice.

The two countries have repeatedly blamed each other for contributing to regional air pollution. Saeed said the problem required cooperation and that Pakistan had raised the issue with Indian officials at international forums. India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Health concerns remain significant as Lahore residents report breathing difficulties and other symptoms. Punjab environment chief Abdullah Nayyar said hospital data showed smog-related throat admissions last month were 69% of the level recorded in October 2025.

At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore, however, patients described continuing problems. Heart patient Ahmed Abubakar said smog had triggered breathing difficulties and eye infections, while another patient, Mohammad Niaz Butt, complained of blocked nasal passages and throat irritation.

“They are burning it, and nothing is done about it,” Butt said.