By Recorder Report
Copyright brecorder
LAHORE: In a sweeping crackdown led by the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all illegal pyrolysis plants operating in Lahore have been dismantled, marking, what authorities are calling, the end of a decade-long environmental menace.
According to Sajid Bashir, spokesperson for the Punjab EPA, the agency’s drone squads carried out persistent aerial surveillance and submitted daily reports that exposed the full extent of the pyrolysis mafia’s operations.
More than 60 tons of illegally stored tires and carbon were seized on site and later transferred to the Lahore Waste Management Company’s designated dumping site. This decisive action has not only halted the supply of illicit carbon and pyro oil but also delivered a significant blow to the shadow economy linked to these unregulated industrial units. Lahore’s industries, long entangled with this black market, have now been given a fresh start.
Several high-profile facilities, including the Gul Khan, Dawood Shah, and Azeem Kasuri plants, had their reactors removed and broken machinery recovered during the raids. At the Haroon (Shalimar) and Sohail/Tayyab sites, complete demolition was carried out, with operations declared successful. However, two plants, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sheikh Irfan, were found to still house operational reactors and machinery. These sites remain under strict surveillance as the crackdown continues.
Sajid Bashir noted that since June 2025, mounting pressure from authorities and repeated raids forced many plant owners to begin dismantling their equipment themselves. By August 2025, all pyrolysis plants had been officially declared non-operational, and by September, the majority was fully demolished.
The Punjab EPA now claims that Lahore is, for the first time in ten years, entirely free of pyrolysis operations. This is being hailed as a major milestone in the city’s fight against industrial pollution. The Deputy Director Field (Lahore) has been issued firm instructions to ensure that no such plant is allowed to restart under any circumstances.
Under the Smog Rules 2023, all pyrolysis plants had been deemed illegal, prompting immediate and sustained enforcement. The drone squads remained active day and night, leaving no opportunity for these operations to resume.
With Lahore finally cleared of the severe environmental threats posed by pyrolysis emissions, the Punjab EPA team has received praise for its relentless efforts. Spokesperson Sajid Bashir emphasized that this campaign has not only restored compliance with environmental law but has also given the city a cleaner, healthier future.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
