Lahore High Court Orders Inspection of Punjab University, Ban on Smoke-Emitting Vehicles in Smog Containment Case

Lahore: During the hearing of petitions related to smog control, the Lahore High Court ordered an inspection of Punjab University and directed authorities to immediately halt all smoke-emitting vehicles. The court also raised serious questions regarding the cutting of trees in Nasir Bagh, the transplantation of mature trees, parking projects, and other environmental issues.

The court inquired why trees continued to be felled despite repeated judicial orders, noting that images presented to the court showed cut trees in Nasir Bagh, a site of historical significance.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA)’s counsel argued that no trees were cut; instead, 121 out of 123 trees were capable of being transplanted, and only minor trimming was carried out on two trees. He informed the court that an underground parking facility was under construction in accordance with court directives and that a third-party NGO was also involved. The court directed a Judicial Commission member to visit the site the same day and submit a report.

During the proceedings, a Judicial Commission member reported that trees had been cut in the Lahore Canal Cooperative Housing Society as well. The court noted that for seven years, it had been issuing orders to resolve the parking issue outside the civil courts and appreciated that the government had now begun implementing them. However, it stressed that such efforts must continue throughout the year to effectively combat smog.

An NGO informed the court that it had been working on the relocation of banyan trees for seven years and had saved a large tree in Cantt as well. The court noted that six to seven large banyan trees on court premises were relocated with several days of effort by the NGO and offered to assign them additional work if they desired.

The NGO stated that relocating one tree costs around Rs 400,000 to 500,000, and that people had now begun adopting trees for preservation. The court instructed that a Miyawaki forest project be initiated in Nasir Bagh and directed the restoration of the park.

Expressing dissatisfaction over delays in compliance regarding school buses, the court observed that Punjab University buses were emitting smoke and ordered a full inspection of the university and the immediate suspension of all smoke-emitting vehicles.

The court further directed that schools should not be compelled to purchase multiple buses at once; instead, they should gradually begin the process. Smaller schools, it said, should be exempted from mandatory purchases and may hire contractor-operated transport instead.

Regarding WASA, the court remarked that the authority had become financially strong and questioned the status of water meters. WASA’s counsel stated that 1,300 meters had been procured — 260 of which had already been installed in Johar Town — and that all meters were imported. A fund of Rs 500 million had been allocated for the project.

The court ordered that commercial areas be prioritized for meter installation. WASA informed the court that a pilot project was underway to assess data collection.

The bench observed that once meters were installed citywide, citizens would naturally begin conserving water. The court praised DHA for installing meters earlier than others and instructed WASA to submit a report on Lahore’s latest aquifer levels to assess whether underground water was depleting further.

The court firmly emphasized that no construction activity should take place inside public parks, as such activity is environmentally harmful.