THE smog in Lahore is not a new problem. Every year, without fail, the city faces the same situation, but no government department takes precautionary measures or seems too worried about the issue at all even though it affects those very officials and their families just like it does anybody else.

The working class, the daily wagers and the students seem to be a bit more exposed than the rest, and thereby suffer from sore throat, flu and respiratory distress.

The government should come up with a long-term solution to the problem. Mere placement of a few ‘awareness-generating’ advertisements is clearly not good enough.

Usama Bin Rafiq
Lakki Marwat

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2021