LAHORE is choking on smog these days. The metropolis is consistently being ranked as the world’s worst city for air quality by the US Air Quality Index, or AQI, with pollution levels ranging from very unhealthy to hazardous for human health, putting the city’s 11m people at risk of contracting serious heart and lung diseases and even cancer. There is a significant surge in the number of people visiting doctors for treatment of breathing issues. On days when it is not on top of the list, the provincial capital is among the dirtiest and most polluted cities on the globe. Lahore’s air quality has worsened in recent years because of increasing industrial pollution, a growing number of smoke-emitting vehicles, increased use of substandard fuels by transporters and factories, burning of sulphur, dust and the seasonal burning of crop residue by the farmers.

The government’s response has ranged from outright denial of the problem to blaming India for the smog to a mere announcement of ad hoc anti-smog measures. The on-ground implementation of such actions remains far from satisfactory. For example, the government has forced around 8,000 brick kilns across Punjab to shift to the more environment-friendly zigzag technology to reduce carbon emissions in the last few years. But the owners do not cooperate and turn off the blowers and fans installed to prevent the emission of black smoke in order to save the expense on electricity. Likewise, the Punjab government has recently ordered fuel pumps to supply only better-quality Euro V petrol for one month to motorists in the provincial capital in place of the relatively inferior Euro II. But no one seems to be listening. The authorities have also set up anti-smog squads to ensure that polluters implement the directions. But these squads appear helpless before more powerful groups and the scale of the pollution. Before tackling the problem, the authorities need to first acknowledge its existence and then take long-term measures to combat it. The issue of hazardous air quality becomes more visible during the colder winter months but it is an issue that the residents of Lahore must face throughout the year. The increasing incidence of conditions such as asthma and bronchitis testifies to this. Polluting industry, poor quality transport fuel, faulty vehicles, crop burning, etc are not issues that can be dealt with in one month or through ad hoc actions. The improvement will come with consistent efforts and long-term planning.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2021