Court orders heavy fine for violating traffic rules to curtail air pollution

Lahore: The Lahore High Court has ordered to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 against people who violate the one-way traffic law in Lahore, quoting that traffic is the main source of air pollution in the city.

According to details, the Lahore High Court heard a petition regarding prevailing smog and air pollution in the city. Focal persons Judicial Water Commission High Court and Chief Traffic Officer appeared before the Lahore court.

The Judicial Water and Environment Commission has submitted its report to the court, recommending numerous steps to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles in Lahore to address the prevailing air pollution in Lahore.

The report has recommended increasing fine money and the driver license should be declared mandatory for the driving.

The court ordered concerned authorities to take strict actions against who violated traffics laws and impose a fine of Rs2000 on one-way violators to curtail air pollution in Lahore.

On the other hand, smog has continued to engulf major cities of Punjab as the ranking of Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached 424 today.

Air pollution has worsened in Pakistan in recent years, as a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burn off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into stagnant clouds of smog. 

Lahore, a bustling megacity of more than 11 million people in Punjab province near the border with India, consistently ranks among the worst cities in the world for air pollution. The AQI Index of Lahore was recorded above 500 throughout the last week. At one point, the provincial capital was declared the most polluted city in the world as well.

The crisis seems to be tightening its vice around Lahore as the weather changes. Other cities most affected by air pollution include Sahiwal, Faisalabad, and Raiwind.