Every winter, as Lahore's skyline dissolves into its familiar grey, so does a certain predictability in our national discourse. The same headlines, the same despair and the same insistence that "nothing works." This year's favourite villain is the anti-smog gun, a water cannon turned lightning rod for cynicism. It is fascinating how a few mist spraying machines have managed to overshadow a province wide, multi sectoral environmental transformation.

Let us be clear, anti-smog guns are not Punjab's smog plan, they are its footnote. They are temporary, tactical tools for dust suppression at construction sites, meant to test technology, not define policy. Their purpose is not to clean the skies but to demonstrate that Punjab is willing to innovate, experiment and act at every level. Mocking them is like blaming a microscope for not curing disease.

Because the real story is bigger, bolder and underway with scientific precision.

When this government took charge 16 months ago, Punjab's environmental management system was practically non-existent. Only three non-functional AQI monitors — dusty relics from an old JICA project — existed. 'Smog control' meant four months of panic followed by eight months of silence.

Today, that has changed beyond recognition. 41 real time AQI monitors now stream live data across Punjab, with 100 to be operational by June 2026. A Multi Sectoral Alignment Cell in the Planning and Development Department coordinates targets across transport, agriculture, industry, waste and energy sectors, ensuring that every decision, from crop........

© The Express Tribune