Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, recently witnessed an unprecedented spike in its Air Quality Index (AQI), which reached a hazardous level of 1900. This alarming figure has placed Lahore at the top of the list of the world’s most polluted cities, according to data from both the provincial government and the Swiss air quality monitoring group IQAir.
The worsening air quality has prompted the Pakistani government to take drastic measures, including the closure of primary schools and the implementation of work-from-home mandates. Additionally, the Pakistani authorities have pointed fingers at India, blaming transboundary pollution as a major contributor to Lahore’s dire environmental situation.
Lahore’s Pollution Crisis: Emergency Measures and Public Health Concerns
Lahore’s air pollution has reached dangerous levels, with an AQI of 1900 being recorded near the Pakistan-India border. The AQI scale, which measures air quality on a scale of 0 to 500, classifies anything above 300 as hazardous to human health. Lahore’s reading of 1900 far exceeds this threshold, making it one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The high level of air pollution is primarily caused by a combination of vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and construction dust, all of which are exacerbated by the cooler months when temperature inversion traps pollutants closer to the ground.
The government has responded swiftly to the crisis. Authorities in Lahore have imposed several immediate measures to mitigate the impact of the toxic air on public health. These include a week-long closure of primary schools across various cities in Punjab, work-from-home orders for 50% of office employees, and an advisory urging residents to limit outdoor activities.
Read : Pollution Level in Lahore 40 Times Above WHO Limit: IQAir Data
Senior Minister of Punjab, Marriyum Aurangzeb, emphasized the need for parents to ensure that their children wear masks if they must venture outside, as the dense smog poses severe health risks, especially for young children.
In addition to these measures, hospitals in Lahore have been equipped with “smog counters” and instructed to prepare for a potential influx of patients suffering from respiratory issues due to the pollution.
The city has also seen a ban on three-wheelers, commonly known as rickshaws, which are notorious for their high emissions, and construction activities in certain areas have been halted to further reduce pollution. Factories and other industrial facilities that fail to comply with these new regulations face the threat of being shut down.
While these steps are seen as necessary short-term solutions to address the immediate crisis, there is growing concern among residents and environmental experts that the root causes of Lahore’s chronic pollution problem are not being adequately addressed. The air quality in Lahore tends to deteriorate every winter, yet long-term strategies to combat pollution have been slow to materialize.
Transboundary Pollution: Pakistan Points Fingers at India
As Lahore grapples with the unprecedented pollution levels, the Pakistani government has placed part of the blame on neighboring India. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb suggested that the air pollution in Lahore was exacerbated by winds carrying pollutants from across the border.
“This cannot be solved without talks with India,” Aurangzeb stated during a press conference, adding that the provincial government intends to raise the issue with the Indian authorities through Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
The accusation of transboundary pollution is not new in the region. Every year, during the cooler months, both Pakistan and India experience a sharp rise in pollution, particularly in the northern regions, where cities like Lahore and Delhi suffer from severe smog.
The primary cause of this seasonal pollution is crop burning, a common agricultural practice in both countries. Farmers set fire to their fields after the harvest to clear stubble, releasing vast amounts of particulate matter and other pollutants into the air. The smog from this practice is often carried by winds across borders, creating a shared environmental crisis.
India, too, faces its own air quality challenges, with its capital, Delhi, consistently ranking among the world’s most polluted cities. However, the Pakistani government’s insistence that India is largely responsible for Lahore’s current air quality issues underscores the complexity of addressing environmental problems that span national boundaries.
Transboundary pollution requires cooperation between neighboring countries to find sustainable solutions, but political tensions between India and Pakistan have often impeded such cooperation.
In the case of Lahore, Pakistan’s call for dialogue with India on the issue of air pollution reflects an acknowledgment that tackling this problem will require joint efforts. However, there are concerns about whether such talks can lead to tangible outcomes, given the historically fraught relations between the two countries.
Long-Term Solutions to Lahore’s Air Pollution
While emergency measures are necessary to protect public health in the short term, Lahore’s pollution crisis demands long-term solutions that address the underlying causes of poor air quality.
Environmental experts argue that the government needs to focus on reducing emissions from both vehicles and industries, as well as implementing policies that encourage cleaner and more sustainable practices across various sectors.
One of the major sources of pollution in Lahore is vehicular emissions. The city’s growing population has led to an increase in the number of vehicles on the road, many of which are outdated and lack modern emission control systems.
Encouraging the use of public transportation, promoting electric vehicles, and introducing stricter emission standards for vehicles are some potential measures that could help reduce pollution from this source.
Industrial emissions also play a significant role in contributing to Lahore’s poor air quality. Factories, especially those involved in brick kilns and other energy-intensive industries, are known to release large amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere.
The government has taken steps to shut down non-compliant factories, but more needs to be done to ensure that industries adopt cleaner technologies and reduce their environmental impact. Introducing financial incentives for businesses that invest in green technologies and penalizing those that fail to comply with environmental regulations could be effective in reducing industrial pollution.
Additionally, construction activities, particularly in a rapidly urbanizing city like Lahore, contribute to the dust and particulate matter in the air. The government’s decision to halt construction in certain areas is a short-term solution, but long-term strategies such as promoting the use of dust suppression technologies and enforcing regulations to limit construction dust are crucial.
Another key factor contributing to Lahore’s pollution is the widespread practice of burning waste, including agricultural stubble. Although the government has taken steps to curb this practice by imposing fines on those caught burning waste, enforcement has been inconsistent.
Providing farmers with alternatives to stubble burning, such as subsidies for equipment that can help remove crop residue without the need for burning, could be a more effective long-term solution.
Ultimately, addressing Lahore’s pollution crisis will require a multifaceted approach that involves not only stricter enforcement of existing environmental regulations but also a commitment to investing in cleaner technologies and sustainable practices.
Collaboration with India on the issue of transboundary pollution could also play a crucial role in improving air quality in the region, provided that political tensions do not stand in the way of meaningful cooperation.
As Lahore continues to suffer from dangerously high pollution levels, the health of its residents remains a top priority. The emergency measures taken by the government are necessary to protect the population from the immediate effects of the smog, but long-term solutions are urgently needed to prevent such crises from recurring year after year.
Without a sustained effort to address the root causes of pollution, Lahore’s air quality is unlikely to improve, leaving millions of people at risk of severe health problems.
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