Punjab Deploys Special Units to Combat Smog

The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has dispatched 67 Quick Response Units (QRUs) to 10 key districts in a bid to curb stubble burning before the smog season arrives. These units, equipped with tractor-mounted fire bowsers, are positioned along major roadways to swiftly identify and quell any crop-residue fires before they escalate.

Punjab EPA Director General Abdullah Nayyer Sheikh personally inspected these QRUs along the Gujranwala-Sialkot Motorway on Sunday, confirming their readiness and strategic placement. Witnessing all units at their designated spots with staff on standby, Sheikh underscored the proactive stance against stubble burning.

The EPA chief also held discussions with officials from the agriculture department to ensure coordinated monitoring of rice-harvesting activities and to pinpoint potential stubble-burning incidents. To effectively locate and address agricultural fires, Punjab EPA employs fire-anomaly detection, drone surveillance, and motorway patrols.

In the past three days, these measures have been instrumental in detecting stubble-burning incidents and orchestrating firefighting efforts. The overarching goal of this initiative is to facilitate early detection and swift response to crop-residue fires, thereby mitigating their detrimental effects on air quality during the smog season.