As the temperature has started to drop with winter around the corner, the air quality in Punjab has also dropped precipitously, with the more densely populated capital of Lahore registering an AQI peaking at700 yesterday, currently the highest in the world, and consistently above 500 for the fourth consecutive day. One could argue that these numbers are perhaps inflated as they are being recorded by devices placed at various locations in the city and their accuracy can be questioned, yet no one can deny what is visible to the naked eye; a thick layer of smog in the air that reduces visibility and confirms that the air is unhealthy to breathe. That this is an annual occurrence with no reduction over the years, rather an increase in its intensity, confirms that the Punjab government is not only incapable of handling the crisis but has accepted smog as an unsolvable problem. Rather than developing a comprehensive strategy on how to deal with this dangerous health hazard, it seems the government expects the people of Lahore to simply accept this as something they have to learn to live with. Obligatory statements by the Punjab CM instructing “relevant departments to take effective measures” are meaningless and the setting up of a ‘smog monitoring cell’ is mere eyewash.
This is an unacceptable attitude towards a serious problem that requires experts to work in tandem with the government and come up with solutions. While some measures, such as controlling road emissions by shifting to electric vehicles, seem like a pipedream given the various challenges it poses, there are other more implementable restrictions that the government seems to be simply unaware of. Crop burning is rampant across the province this time of year and while it has been banned since 2018, there has been no letup, with farmers setting ablaze crop waste after the end of the harvest with impunity to avoid the high cost of getting rid of that waste through costly environmentally friendly methods.
Pakistan is currently facing multiple health crises. With the delta variant of the covid-19 virus easing off, dengue has wreaked havoc in Punjab, with hospitals full of patients and daily deaths rising. Smog is a toxic blend of smoke and fog entering one’s lungs throughout the day causing severe respiratory problems. Investment in better equipment to detect hotspots is only a small element of the challenge; unless there is willingness and determination in the government to address the problem and eliminate it, smog will continue to haunt Lahore for years to come.
