417 fined in anti-smog operation

LAHORE: In a rigorous effort to combat smog and environmental violations, the Punjab police in the last 24 hours registered four cases, arrested three lawbreakers, and fined 417 offenders more than Rs8 million.

Additionally, 32 individuals received warnings for minor infractions, according to a Punjab police spokesperson. The spokesperson reported two instances of burning crop residues and 326 violations involving vehicles emitting excessive smoke within the past day.

The spokesperson also provided a comprehensive update on this year’s anti-smog operations. A total of 3,504 suspects have been arrested, and 3,954 cases registered. During this period, 8,138 individuals were warned, and 48,188 offenders were fined a staggering Rs110 million.

Furthermore, the police recorded 2,123 violations related to burning crop residues and 40,970 cases of vehicles emitting excessive smoke. Industrial violations were also under scrutiny, with 385 breaches reported in industrial activities, 1,481 at brick kilns, and 367 at other locations.

In a focused drive against smoke-emitting vehicles, the police issued challans against 4,400 such vehicles in the last 24 hours, and 345 vehicles were detained at police stations. In addition, 364,821 vehicles were stopped for inspections, and fitness certificates for 20,249 vehicles were suspended.