Chamkta Lahore Campaign: Punjab to Wash 100 km of Lahore Roads a Day to Cut Smog Dust
Punjab launched Chamkta Lahore on 3 November 2026 to wash about 100 km of Lahore roads a day with 10 mist guns. The plan, what is unconfirmed, how to report.
The Punjab government launched a "Chamkta Lahore" cleaning and anti-smog drive at Liberty Chowk on Tuesday 3 November 2026. The plan, as announced, is to wash about 100 km of Lahore roads every day, or about 648 km a week, to cut the dust that feeds smog. Ten rickshaw-mounted mist guns will spray water on dusty stretches.
Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique opened the drive on the Chief Minister's instructions. These figures were announced at the launch and carried in press reports. When we checked at about 4 am on 5 November, the Punjab government and the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) had not posted the campaign details on their own websites. So treat the numbers below as reported, not as a published plan.
Punjab plans to wash 100 km of Lahore roads every day
The headline target is road washing. Dust from roads and building sites is one of the main sources of the fine particles that make up Lahore's smog. Washing lowers the dust that cars lift back into the air.
The equipment and targets announced at the launch were reported as follows:
| Item | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Roads washed each day | About 100 km |
| Roads washed each week | About 648 km |
| Major roads, places and markets picked first | 100 |
| Mechanical road washing machines | 16 |
| Rickshaw-mounted footpath washers | 46 |
| Rickshaw-mounted anti-smog mist guns | 10 |
No list of the 100 roads and markets has been published that we could find. Nor has a timetable saying which road is washed on which day. The campaign's length and budget were also not stated.
The drive started at Liberty Chowk on 3 November
The launch was held at Liberty Chowk in Gulberg. Zeeshan Rafique and Shoaib Mirza, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, ran the mist guns themselves to show how they work. Lahore's Deputy Commissioner Ali Ijaz and the LWMC chief executive also attended.
The minister said the drive would focus on major roads, busy junctions and commercial areas. Shoaib Mirza said the campaign would later be taken to every district of Punjab. No date was given for that.
The minister also said November smog levels were clearly lower than two years ago. That is a claim made at the launch. We have not checked it against the Environment Protection Department's (EPD) data, so we report it as his view.
Lahore's air is still very unhealthy this week
The drive comes in a week of very poor air. Our check of the Punjab air quality readings on 4 November put Lahore at 378 on the air quality index (AQI), and Nankana Sahib at the 500 cap. Anything above 300 is classed as hazardous.
Road washing helps with dust. It does little against smoke from vehicles, factories, brick kilns and crop burning, which make up much of the problem in November. Cold, still nights also trap pollution close to the ground. So the air may stay bad on some days even with the washing.
For the area-wise picture, see our list of Lahore AQI at 11 stations and our report on the Punjab AQI on 4 November. The outlook for the rest of the season is in our smog forecast for November and December.
What Lahore residents can do this week
You cannot book a road wash, but you can report the things that make dust and smoke worse. These are the official routes:
- Garbage piles or burning waste: call LWMC on 1139, or use its app. Our page on the LWMC complaint number has the steps.
- Smoke from a kiln, factory or vehicle: file it on the Green Punjab app with a photo and location. See our guide to the Green Punjab smog complaint.
- Dust from a building site with no cover: report it on the same Green Punjab app.
- Waste in other Punjab cities: the Suthra Punjab programme takes complaints; see our Suthra Punjab complaint guide.
- Protect yourself: wear an N95 or KN95 mask outdoors on bad days, and keep children and elderly people indoors in the early morning.
What is still not confirmed
Several things were not stated at the launch, or have not been published by the government yet. We will update this page if official details appear.
- The list of the first 100 roads, places and markets.
- How long the campaign will run.
- The budget and who pays for the new machines.
- Whether washing will use treated wastewater or fresh water.
- When and how the drive will reach other districts.
One more point. A press report described the launch day as Tuesday while dating its story 4 November, which was a Wednesday. Tuesday was 3 November, and that is the launch date we use.
Common questions
What is the Chamkta Lahore campaign?
A Punjab government cleaning and anti-smog drive in Lahore, launched on 3 November 2026, focused on washing roads and footpaths to cut dust.
How many roads will be washed each day?
About 100 km a day, or about 648 km a week, as announced at the launch. The road list has not been published.
What are anti-smog mist guns?
Machines that spray a fine water mist to settle dust in the air. Ten have been mounted on rickshaws for this drive, as reported.
Will the campaign reach other cities?
Shoaib Mirza said it would be extended to all districts of Punjab. No date was given.
Where do I complain about garbage in Lahore?
Call LWMC on 1139. For smoke from kilns, factories or vehicles, use the Green Punjab app.
Does road washing stop smog?
It lowers road dust, one source of smog. It does not stop smoke from traffic, industry, kilns or crop burning.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked about 4 am PKT on 5 November 2026. The campaign figures and quotes are from statements made at the launch on 3 November and reported in the press; the Punjab government, DGPR Punjab and LWMC websites did not carry the details when we looked. The AQI figures are from our own 4 November report based on Punjab's monitoring data. The complaint routes are from LWMC and the Environment Protection Department of Punjab.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
