LAHORE: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has slapped hefty fines of Rs 500,000 each on three major construction sites within the Nawaz Sharif IT City project, launching a strict crackdown after hazardous pollution levels were recorded in the area.
The penalties were imposed on Zameen Developers’ IT Tower, the CBD IT Tower, and Maxion Construction Company near PKLI Hospital for what officials termed “clear and continued violations” of the mandatory Fugitive Dust SOPs.
The enforcement action followed an inspection by Environmental Inspector Hidayatullah, who found that large-scale construction and infrastructure activities were underway without any of the required dust-control measures. Despite repeated directives issued earlier this year by the Director General EPA Punjab, the contractors had not implemented essential safeguards such as water sprinkling, dust barriers, screening nets, or proper covering of loose construction materials and transport vehicles.
An official order served on the Central Business District (CBD) authority and also shared with the media, the situation had become alarming as the Air Quality Monitoring Station installed at PKLI had been consistently recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 500 — a level classified as Hazardous and posing severe risks to public health. The EPA has attributed the spike largely to unchecked dust emissions from ongoing works across the sprawling 900-acre development zone.
In its urgent directive to the Central Business District (CBD) Punjab, the EPA ordered immediate recovery of the fines and instructed that the full amount be deposited in the government account within three days. The agency has also demanded visible and strict enforcement of all provisions of the Fugitive Dust SOPs, emphasizing routine water sprinkling, proper containment of construction materials, and installation of dust-screening structures at every active site.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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