Lahore authorities have launched a major crackdown on people who improperly dispose of waste. Violators could face fines ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs500,000.
The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and Punjab Safe Cities Authority will jointly monitor the operation.
The crackdown will begin this week. In the first phase, authorities will target 10 major markets in Lahore. These include areas around Mall Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard and Liberty Chowk.
Safe City cameras will identify people who throw rubbish in public places. Field teams will then visit the location and take action.
Field staff will also show shopkeepers video evidence before taking action.
- Shopkeepers could face fines from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000, depending on the offence.
- Throwing waste in public places could result in fines from Rs1,000 to Rs10,000.
- People who fail to keep areas outside homes, shops or factories clean could face fines of up to Rs50,000.
- Burning waste could result in fines from Rs100,000 to Rs500,000. Violators could also face up to two years in prison.
- Burning tyres could result in a fine of up to Rs500,000 and up to seven years in prison.
Authorities have also banned officials from collecting fines in cash. Payments must be made through banking or digital channels to improve transparency.
Crackdown to expand across Lahore
The campaign will not remain limited to the first 10 markets.
Authorities plan to expand the crackdown to other markets and commercial centres. People who throw rubbish from vehicles will also face action.
Cameras are becoming an important part of Punjab’s environmental enforcement system. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority recently detected more than 1,000 environmental violations using AI-based cameras, drones and virtual monitoring.
Lahore also started an e-challan awareness campaign for littering in September. Anti-littering teams were deployed on roads, in markets and in commercial areas.
The teams informed people about cleanliness laws.