LIKE in the preceding years, Lahore is choking again. Smog should not be a seasonal conversation. What we need are consistent efforts made all year round to defeat this menace. This begs the question: who do we even hold accountable for such issues in a volatile political scenario and in the absence of any elected government?

We all know the detrimental effects of air pollution on human health, including cancer, stroke, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and it is our right to demand from our politicians and policymakers to prioritise this issue. How many political parties have plans to address climate change and redefine our relationship with fossil fuels? Action on climate change should be included in party manifestos.

Cancer happens due to mutations in our genes that are often triggered by environmental factors, and air pollution is one factor. This makes me wonder about all the hard work and billions of rupees that go into treating cancer, on the one hand, and our hopelessness as we watch our air turning into a mix of cancer causing toxins, on the other hand. Policymaking aside, at the individual level, we are all responsible for not making the difference that we could, and still can. We should take steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Why is it so difficult for both the people and the government to understand and act accordingly?

Mariam Khan
Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2023