The Punjab government has formed a 750-member force divided into 67 rapid-response units across major rice-growing districts to combat illegal stubble burning. Silwat Saeed, chief of the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department, stated the government formed this force this year to address the pollution crisis.
The units are designed to reach reported field fires within 10 to 15 minutes. On Thursday, officers of the new unit were seen at a paddy field on the edge of Lahore, where they brought a fire under control within minutes. Ashfaq Hussain, a deputy director of the force, said the teams patrol paddy areas for signs of burning and can receive complaints locally. “We receive complaints through multiple channels and respond to them in the shortest possible time,” Hussain said.
The department reported that in a single 24-hour period this week, it received 679 field fire reports from across Punjab and extinguished 650 of them. To deter the practice, Muhammad Farooq, an assistant director of the Punjab Agriculture Department, said farmers caught burning stubble face fines of 15,000 Pakistani rupees ($54) per acre. Farooq added that those who fail to pay the fines can face prosecution and a possible jail term of up to six months.
The government is also providing machinery to replace burning practices, having distributed more than 10,000 subsidised super seeders. The government pays 60% of the cost while farmers pay the remaining 40%. Muhammad Ismail, who farms 50 acres, said switching to a subsidised super seeder and other machinery significantly boosted his wheat yield per acre. However, Saleem Abbas, another local farmer who shifted away from burning, said many still favor the practice because it is widely regarded as the cheapest and fastest way to clear fields.
While Punjab officials claim the campaign is working, noting that satellites have detected less burned area in India and Pakistan than the historical average at this point in the year, many locals say they struggle to notice improvements. The smog has contributed to a health crisis in Lahore, where the Swiss group IQAir rated the air “very unhealthy” earlier this week.
Abdullah Nayyar, director general of the Punjab Environment Protection Department, said health department data show smog-related throat hospitalisations last month were only at 69% of the level recorded in October 2025. Despite this, patients at Lahore's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital reported ongoing issues. Ahmed Abubakar, a heart patient who has had a bypass and is diabetic, said smog brought on breathing problems and eye infections. Mohammad Niaz Butt, who reported his nose and throat were blocked up, said: “They are burning it, and nothing is done about it.”
Silwat Saeed noted that the challenge is huge for both Pakistan and India, stating that Pakistan has raised the issue with officials from India at international forums.
