LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sent a letter to his Indian counterpart Capt Amarinder Singh inviting him to enter into a regional agreement to tackle the issue of smog and control pollution that causes it.

The Punjab government largely blames burning of rice crop stubble by the Indian Punjab farmers for smog that has been affecting air quality since last year in Lahore and other cities during the weather transition from October-end to the first half of November.

The Punjab government had also tweeted Mr Singh to control the large-scale burning when its cities including Lahore were being choked by debilitating smog earlier this month.

Letter to Indian CM points out its debilitating effects

“Let us join hands for securing a prosperous future of the peoples of our two Punjabs,” Mr Sharif said in the letter sent to Mr Singh on Sunday.

“You are aware that since last year, the peoples of both the Punjabs are facing the problem of smog during the months of October and November. This year the problem has aggravated,” the chief minister said. He said smog had adverse effect on the health of people, especially the old and children. It also disturbed agriculture, delaying wheat sowing and damaging potato and other crops beside causing road accidents.

“The main causes of smog range from vehicular and industrial emissions to stubble burning. The phenomenon has now assumed regional proportions as it engulfs areas from New Delhi to Lahore and beyond.

“You will agree with me that the problem is essentially scientific and economic and cannot be tackled through other means. I firmly believe that it is in the interest of the peoples of both the Punjabs to make collective efforts for identifying technologies and business methods that may eliminate the practice of stubble burning and help control smog,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017