THERE are severe threats to human health and environment that smog poses to Lahore and other cities in Punjab. Every year, from November onwards, cities like Lahore, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan and Faisalabad, are blanketed in thick, toxic smog that turns the air we breathe into a health hazard.

Unfortunately, the situation has become critical, with pollution levels sometimes reaching as high as 200 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), which is twice the limit of what human lungs can safely process. The impact is akin to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, causing countless respiratory issues and drastically reducing the quality of life for millions.

Historically, the Great Smog of London in 1952, which once claimed thousands of lives, pushed British authorities to take strict, effective measures. This had led to the Clean Air Act, which success-fully transformed London’s air quality. Punjab, too, needs immediate as well as long-term strategies.

Smog sources include crop residue burning in neighbouring India, emissions from factories and power plants, and the rising number of vehicles running on low-quality fuel. Additional factors, like the burning of tyres for extracting lubricants and the unchecked spread of housing societies, are only worsening the air quality.

The provincial government needs to establish a ‘Clean Punjab Commission’ tasked with implementing sustainable policies. Key steps could include relocating factories away from city limits, promoting real tree planting instead of token plant-ations, regulating vehicle emissions, and improving fuel quality.

There should also be strict penalties for burning waste material of all sorts. Additionally, our schools must educate the next generation about environmental protection to create a more eco-conscious society.

Punjab’s rapid development must not come at the cost of public health. The government must take responsibility and act decisively to prevent our cities from becoming graveyards.

The current temporary measures, like school closure, are only a quick fix. We need comprehensive, sustainable policies to ensure a brighter and healthier future.

Wasif Khaliq Dad
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024