LAHORE: The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has not been implementing court orders regarding smog policy despite the passage of a month since the court directives.

On Nov 14, 2017, Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had directed the EPD to follow a temporary smog policy till a new and revised plan was made. The temporary policy itself was drafted on the court order by those who were representing the government in the case.

According to this policy, if PM2.5 indicators rise above the level of 300 micrograms, smog levels are labelled ‘severe’ and a medical emergency should be imposed, suspending the outdoor activities and evacuation of people to safe places. Other actions proposed included restricting air pollution generating industrial units, and construction activities in the affected area; restrictions on motor vehicles, and shutting down primary schools and public parks if levels rise.

The EPD’s own data shows PM2.5 levels crossing 140 ug/m3 on more than one day (Nov 17 to 22). The department did not upload any updates since Nov 30. It has also failed to provide data from four of the locations, including UET, Jail Road, Thokar and Lakhodair, after Nov 23.

EPD Director Labs Tauqeer Qureshi confirms that they had procured six machines in 2016 for measuring the air quality and they are stationed at Lahore Fort, UET, Gulberg (EPD office), Meteorological Station, and one mobile unit has been sent to the Kalar Kahar area.

When asked why they did not upload the data in real time, Mr Qureshi says they are facing issue of manpower shortage and theyhave no staff to analyse and decipher the date they receive.

The effects of smog are obvious, with allergies and ENT infections spread around, but till now, no schools are shut down by the government.

“If we close down schools, they will remain shut eight months a year,” said EPD Secretary retired Capt Saif Anjum, at a recent meeting, saying pollution occured year round.

Qureshi also concurs with this point of view, saying: “The smog policy directed for us to follow is impractical. Industries cannot be closed for so long and the same goes for schools but we have cracked down on the cars.”

Experts have objected to the EPA’s indifference to the smog problem.

“Currently the EPA is recording the ambient air quality through air pointers,” says Aleem Butt, chief environmentalist at Seal Labs. “But none of these stations have measured all parametres. PM10 and PM2.5 are missing from all the readings.”

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2017