LAHORE: In a bid to combat seasonal smog and streamline urban sanitation, the Punjab local government department has mandated wet-mechanical road cleaning and enforced daily performance tracking for field monitoring officers across all districts. During a meeting chaired by Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique on Tuesday, proactive measures to tackle the threat of potential smog and matters related to the Suthra Punjab initiative were reviewed. Suthra Punjab Authority Director General Umer Javed, Asim Mahmood, Focal Person for Suthra Punjab, Special Secretaries Shahid Zaman Lak and Syed Musa Raza were present, while Managing Directors of district agencies participated via video link. While addressing the meeting, the Minister ordered strict implementation of anti-smog directives across Punjab, warning that waste burning and improper road cleaning will trigger immediate disciplinary action against local officials. He emphasised that care must be taken to avoid raising dust while cleaning roads. “Action will be taken against the Tehsil Manager if any complaints regarding waste burning are received, ” he warned. He stated that road cleaning must be carried out only through mechanical methods that utilise water. He directed the Suthra Punjab Authority DG to individually review the performance of district managing directors. In this regard, it was decided to summon the managing directors of the Suthra Punjab agencies to the Authority’s office in a phased manner. The Minister noted that each Field Monitoring Officer (FMO) has been assigned responsibility for 24 beats. “They must be required to visit at least 12 beats daily, and their performance will undergo third-party validation, and also the existing system for the effective supervision of contractors needs to be further strengthened. An improvement in the situation should be visible following the establishment of an empowered agency in each district, ” he urged. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Punjab mandates wet cleaning to combat smog
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