Digital cleanup

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.

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.