Pakistan deploys artificial intelligence to combat air pollution

Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

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.

READ MORE: Why is South Asia the global hotspot of pollution?

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

Authorities say they are deploying one of the region's most technologically advanced clean-air programs, with AI systems at the center 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 analyze 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 that integrates satellite feeds, ground sensors, and international databases.

Aurangzeb said that across major industrial and urban centers, 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.

Smoke to smart

Punjab has also created a specialized Environmental Protection Force digitally connected to the AI command center. When sensors detect an emission spike, the nearby force units receive automatic alerts and they 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 percent 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, the Green Punjab app and the helpline 1373, residents can report pollution sources directly. The system categorizes complaints and assigns them automatically — with a reported 96 percent closure rate.

Using satellite data from Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and NASA, 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 65 percent in a year, while in Punjab's industrial belt, it says 95 percent of factories now operate under emission-control systems.

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.

Cleaner fuel needed

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 news agency.

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 tires. "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".

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"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 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.