- Punjab Info Minister cites a NASA report linking smog in Lahore to cross-border pollution from India
- Rules out chances of artificial rain without clouds, saying, ‘Can’t waste money by conducting artificial rain without clouds
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Saturday that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will soon write a letter to the CM of Indian Punjab to jointly battling the menace of smog.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari acknowledged that the air quality index of Lahore was on the rise, referencing a NASA report linking smog in Lahore to cross-border pollution from India.
“India is not controlling the air pollution on its side of the border,” the minister remarked, adding that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will soon write a letter to her Indian counterpart about taking collective measures to control smog.
Bokhari also ruled out the chances of artificial rain without clouds, saying, “Can’t waste money by conducting artificial rain without clouds.” On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz renewed her appeal for climate diplomacy with India to address the worsening smog problem affecting both sides of the border.
Speaking at a Diwali event in Lahore, Maryam emphasized, “We need to have diplomacy with India regarding the issue of smog in Lahore. I’m thinking of writing a letter to the Punjab chief minister in India that this is not just a political issue, this is a humanitarian issue. And if we’re also taking steps towards this, then there should be a matching response from the Indian side.”
She added that if Pakistan is taking steps to combat the issue, there should be a reciprocal effort from India. “The winds don’t know there’s a border in the middle,” she said in a lighter vein, stressing that cooperation would benefit both people and the environment on either side.
“Until both Punjabs come together, we won’t be able to tackle the issue of smog,” she stressed. Her remarks echoed her October 10 appeal for “climate diplomacy” with India to reduce smog in Punjab.
