Pakistan bets on AI to tackle smog crisis

Lahore, once celebrated as the City of Gardens, now chokes each winter under a grey shroud of smog — its skies thick with toxic haze that has become the city’s defining feature.

Every November, as the monsoon fades, a suffocating layer of smoke and dust engulfs Lahore, India’s capital New Delhi and much of northern South Asia.

The mix of crop burning, vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions drives air pollution to deadly levels, forcing authorities to shut schools, businesses and highways.

This winter, as air quality plummets again, the Punjab government is betting on an unconventional ally to fight back: artificial intelligence (AI).

Authorities say they are deploying one of the region’s most technologically advanced clean-air programmes, with AI systems at the centre of forecasting, enforcement and public response.

Some 100 AI-powered air-quality monitoring stations have been established across Punjab, home to nearly 130 million people, according to Punjab Environment Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

These smart stations continuously analyse pollution data using machine-learning algorithms to predict air-quality surges before they occur. The information feeds into a 24-hour “smog war room” — a real-time climate intelligence hub integrating satellite feeds, ground sensors and international databases.

Aurangzeb told Anadolu that across major industrial and urban centres, 8,500 cameras, drones and thermal sensors are linked to this AI dashboard, tracking emissions from factories and brick kilns. “Each emission source is geo-tagged, QR-coded, and algorithmically assessed for compliance,” she said.

From smoke to smart data

Punjab has also created a specialised Environmental Protection Force (EPF) digitally connected to the AI command centre. When sensors detect an emission spike, nearby EPF units receive automatic alerts and are dispatched with drones and smart devices to verify violations and seal polluting sites.

Another innovation is the deployment of AI-guided anti-smog guns across Lahore, programmed to activate automatically when particulate levels exceed safe limits.

Early pilot tests showed a 70 per cent improvement in air quality in Lahore’s Kahna area within hours of operation, Aurangzeb said.

Citizens are also part of the digital ecosystem. Through the Air Quality Index Punjab app, Green Punjab app and helpline 1373, residents can report pollution sources directly. The system categorises complaints and assigns them automatically — with a reported 96pc closure rate.

Using satellite data from Nasa and Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, the AI network also detects crop-burning incidents in real time and cross-references them with farm-loan databases to target enforcement.

According to the government, the system has helped reduce stubble burning by 65pc in a year, while in Punjab’s industrial belt, it says 95pc of factories now operate under emission-control systems.

‘No silver bullet’ for smog

But while AI may be transforming enforcement, experts caution that technology alone cannot solve Pakistan’s deep-rooted pollution crisis.

Air pollution kills an estimated 128,000 Pakistanis each year, according to Fair Finance Pakistan. Analysts say real progress requires cleaner fuels, modern refineries and a shift away from outdated industrial practices.

Imran Saqib Khalid, a climate governance expert in Islamabad, said Lahore’s smog cannot be fixed without tackling its primary sources.

“Vehicular emissions contribute significantly to air pollution in Lahore, which can be addressed through the use of high-quality fuel, along with an improved public transport system,” he told Anadolu.

Pakistan, he said, lacks modern refineries capable of producing cleaner fuel. “Although we have started to import improved-quality fuel, it is not enough to meet our needs.”

Khalid also pointed to the country’s thousands of brick kilns, many of which burn low-quality coal or even old tyres. “Even the so-called ‘zigzag technology’ kilns fail to meet national environmental standards because of poor-quality fuel,” he said, adding that zigzag firing, while efficient in theory, “cannot deliver results without fuel reform”.

“Air pollution is a complex issue but it has been addressed elsewhere in the world. It will take time and effort — there is no silver bullet solution,” he said. “It cannot be done through surface-level measures such as smog guns and smog towers.”

Environmentalists acknowledge that Punjab’s use of AI marks a new seriousness in tackling smog, but they say lasting improvements demand systemic reforms.

Yasir Hussain, a Karachi-based environmentalist, said the government’s approach this year shows more coordination than previous efforts but still lacks long-term impact.

“Artificial rain and smog guns don’t have a permanent or lasting effect,” he said. “Within an hour, pollution levels return because so much gas and particulate matter come from vehicles, industrial units, brick kilns and stubble burning.”

He believes the electric vehicle policy introduced this year could make a difference over time. “This government has taken some measures to mitigate smog, but there is a long way to go,” he added.

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