Punjab uses a clean air program with AI systems at the center of forecasting, enforcement, public response
Anti smog gun. Photo: ANADOLU AGENCY
LAHORE:
Lahore, once celebrated as Pakistan’s “city of gardens”, now suffocates each winter under a gray blanket of smog – its skies thick with the toxic haze that has become the city’s hallmark.
Every November, as the monsoon recedes, a suffocating layer of smoke and dust engulfs Lahore, India’s capital New Delhi, and much of northern South Asia.
The mix of crop burning, car exhaust and industrial emissions is driving air pollution to lethal levels, forcing authorities to close schools, businesses and highways.
This winter, as air quality declines again, the government of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, is banking on an unconventional ally to fight back: artificial intelligence.
Authorities say they are implementing one of the region’s most technologically advanced clean air programs, with artificial intelligence at the center of forecasting, enforcement and public response.
About 100 AI-powered air quality monitoring stations have been established across Punjab, home to nearly 130 million people, according to Marriyum Aurangzeb, Punjab’s environment minister.
These smart stations continuously analyze pollution data using machine learning algorithms to predict air quality increases before they occur. The information is fed into a 24-hour “smog war room” – a real-time climate intelligence hub that integrates satellite feeds, ground sensors and international databases.
Aurangzeb told Anadolu that across major industrial and urban centers, 8,500 cameras, drones and thermal sensors are linked to this AI dashboard that tracks emissions from factories and brick kilns. “Each emission source is Pakinomist-tagged, QR-coded and algorithmically assessed for compliance,” she said.
From smoke to smart data
Punjab has also set up a specialized Environmental Protection Force (EPF) digitally linked to the AI command centre. When sensors detect an emissions spike, nearby EPF units receive automatic alerts and are dispatched with drones and smart devices to verify violations and seal off polluting sites.
Another innovation is the deployment of AI-controlled anti-smog guns across Lahore, programmed to activate automatically when particulate levels exceed safe limits.
Early pilot trials showed a 70% improvement in air quality in Lahore’s Kahna area within hours of operation, Aurangzeb said.
Citizens are also part of the digital ecosystem. Through AQI Punjab app, Green Punjab app and helpline 1373, residents can report sources of pollution directly. The system categorizes complaints and assigns them automatically – with a reported closure rate of 96%. Using satellite data from NASA and Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO, the AI network also detects crop burning incidents in real-time and cross-references them with farm loan databases to target enforcement.
According to the government, the system has helped reduce stubble burning by 65% in a year, while in Punjab’s industrial belt it says 95% of factories are now operating under emission control systems.
‘No silver bullet’ for smog
But while artificial intelligence could transform enforcement, experts warn that technology alone cannot solve Pakistan’s deep-rooted pollution crisis.
Air pollution kills an estimated 128,000 Pakistanis each year, according to Fair Finance Pakistan. Analysts say real progress requires cleaner fuels, modern refineries and a shift away from outdated industrial practices.
Imran Saqib Khalid, a climate management expert in Islamabad, said Lahore’s smog cannot be fixed without tackling its primary sources.
“Vehicle emissions contribute significantly to air pollution in Lahore, which can be addressed through the use of high-quality fuel along with an improved public transport system,” he told Anadolu.
Pakistan, he said, lacks modern refineries capable of producing cleaner fuel. “Although we have started importing fuel of improved quality, it is not enough to meet our needs.”
Khalid also pointed to the country’s thousands of brick kilns, many of which burn low-quality coal or even old tires. “Even the so-called ‘zigzag technology’ furnaces do not meet national environmental standards due to poor quality fuel,” he said, adding that zigzag firing, while effective in theory, “cannot deliver results without fuel reform.”
“Air pollution is a complex issue, but it has been addressed elsewhere in the world. It will take time and effort – there is no silver bullet solution,” he said. “It can’t be done through surface-level measures like smog guns and smog towers.”
Environmentalists acknowledge that Punjab’s use of artificial intelligence marks a new seriousness in tackling smog, but they say lasting improvements require systemic reforms.
Yasir Hussain, a Karachi-based environmentalist, said the government’s approach this year shows more coordination than previous efforts but still lacks long-term impact.
“Artificial rain and smog guns do not have a permanent or lasting effect,” he said. “Within an hour, pollution levels return because so much gas and particulates come from vehicles, industrial units, brick kilns and stubble burning.”
He believes that the electric car policy that was introduced this year can make a difference over time. “This government has taken some measures to mitigate smog, but there is a long way to go,” he added.
