Delhi and Lahore — the smoggiest cities of ’em all
Governments of both — India and Pakistan — need to clear the air about the
steps being taken to tackle the harmful effects of ‘toxic’ air that the
residents of both countries are breathing
By
Jabbar Chaudhary in Lahore
Nikita Sharma in Chandigarh
 |
| Pic Credit Dunya Tv |
Without rain for two months, Lahore saw its air
quality index (AQI) touching the dangerous level of 450 tiny particulate matter
(PM2.5) on December 16, 2023. It was 30 times higher than the World Health
Organization’s recommended maximum average daily exposure and considered
hazardous. As a result, the Punjab Government had to declare a ‘smog emergency’
in Lahore and nearby districts. Schools were shut, markets closed and face
masks were made mandatory. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the
government made arrangements to induce artificial rain in Lahore to provide
temporary relief from the hazardous effects of poor air quality.
Artificial rain was
induced in an attempt to lowering pollution levels in Lahore. The Punjab Government
used cloud seeding to create rain in 10 locations around the city using a small
Cessna plane with UAE’s cooperation. Citizens experienced shower-like rain in
different locations. Environment Minister in Punjab, Bilal Afzal, claimed that
cloud seeding and artificial rain was introduced for the first time and it was a success. He, however, admitted that
the rainfall was minimal and scanty. He felt elated that due to this the air
quality of Lahore improved significantly and the AQI dropped to 150 PM. However,
the minister also said that the benefits of this rain were short-lived as the pollution
was back to square one after two to three days.
Hazardous air quality is
not limited to Lahore. India’s capital city — Delhi — ranks ahead of it. Both
cities top the list of most-polluted cities of the world.
This “toxic” air that we are breathing is now
transcending borders and affecting many lives. Smog is a common cause for concern,
as nationals of both -- India and Pakistan -- are severely affected. The
citizens of both countries are breathing the same toxic air, which is causing
severe health issues. The situation is only getting worse with each passing
year.
In response to the
alarming and dangerous situation, the Delhi Government in India also reportedly
considered the implementation of artificial rain to counter smog, but it could
not bring it to fruition. The Aam Aadmi Party government in India’s national capital
also derived an odd-even formula for vehicles to ply in order to reduce
pollution level, but there was no data to prove the efficacy of the experiment
as well.
IIT Kanpur, a premier institute in India, undertook an experiment last year,
wherein a Cessna aircraft was flown from its flight laboratory with cloud-seeding
attachments. "These attachments were procured from a manufacturer in the
US and the modifications in the aircraft were approved both by the
manufacturers of Cessna and DGCA. The test flight spread the agents using a
flare as is standard practice," the institute had revealed in the release.
The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution estimates that every year, air pollution steals 9 million
lives, 2% of GDP and 7% of healthcare costs. It also reported that 128,000
Pakistanis die annually due to air pollution-related illnesses.
An air quality life index study suggests that since 1998, average annual
particulate pollution has increased by 20 per cent, cutting 0.9 years off the
lives of the average Pakistani resident over these years. The most-polluted
areas of the country are in northeast Punjab and northern Sindh, where
residents would gain over five years of life if particulate pollution could be permanently
reduced, according to WHO guidelines.
Punjab, be it in the Indian side or that in Pakistan, starts
experiencing periods of low visibility from October onwards and this continues till
February. This is commonly referred to as smog (combined from smoke and fog). The
intensity, duration and spatial extent of these events have increased over the
last few years. Smog causes severe health problems such as burning and
irritation of the eyes and other respiratory problems. Prolonged or heavy
exposure to hazardous air causes various complications such as asthma, lung damage,
bronchial infections, stroke and shortened life expectancy.
Dr Atif Kazmi, a senior consultant dermatologist at
Lahore University Teaching Hospital (UOL), says smog causes serious damage to
health. He advised citizens to avoid coming in contact with smog, as it can cause
breathing difficulties and infections. He said wearing face masks and staying
inside are the two easiest ways to avoid rushing to hospitals with respiratory
issues, eye infections and skin diseases.
Considering growing concerns regarding smog and its serious effects on
health, the Lahore High Court took cognizance of the fact and constituted a ‘Smog
Commission’. After considerable discussions and thorough research, this
commission submitted its reports to the High Court, which identified
an interesting fact. The report stated: “The
Indo-Gangetic Plains, composed of the Indus (areas in Pakistan and parts of
Punjab and Haryana in India) and the Gangetic Plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
and West Bengal in India, Nepal and Bangladesh (Figure G.6), have been
identified as one of the most-polluted regions due to high aerosol
concentration and a related episode of haze, fog and smog.”
The same report suggests and experts also believe that
the main cause for smog and air pollution were vehicular and industrial
emissions, dust clouds, fossil fuel-fired power
plants and coal being burned by thousands of brick kilns spread across the
province all contribute to the problem. A Food
and Agriculture Organization’s source appropriation study in 2020
singles out power producers, industry and the transport sector in particular as
culprits. Waste burning is considered another source of smog. It includes
burning of solid wastes, rice stubble and sugarcane fields. Various studies
have linked smog to the burning of rice stubble in the Indian states of Punjab,
Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. During 2016 alone, around 32 Metric Tonnes of paddy
stubble was estimated to have been burnt in the Indian state of Punjab. In
Pakistan’s side of Punjab, too, the practice of burning stubble is very common
among farmers before the wheat cultivation season.
Asif Mahmood, a senior
journalist and special correspondent at Express Tribune, who reports on
environmental issues, reveals that the government has no authentic research and
data on smog. Only two stations are working in Lahore to monitor the air
quality. However, the Punjab Government started uploading air quality data on its website daily
after the High Court’s order. Mr Mahmood is also of the view that smog is a
common and shared problem between India and Pakistan and it should be dealt seriously.
He said multiple forums are available between the two countries so the issue of
smog can be discussed to avoid blame game and stubble-burning allegations
against each other.
On the other hand, Gopal Singh,
a political activist and a farmer from Amritsar in Punjab, India, said a strict
ban has been imposed on stubble burning, but some farmers still violate the law
and burn the paddy crop remains to clear the fields for the next crop — wheat.
As a result, people start experiencing breathing issues due to the polluted air
and visits to hospitals become frequent.
Ahbab Singh Grewal,
spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, India, said the share
of stubble burning in smog is 17 per cent. He said his government was not only encouraging
a ban on stubble burning, but was also incentivising farmers to sell stubble to
public sector powerhouses that are being run by the Punjab Government. “We have
stated a policy, wherein the AAP
government is discouraging sowing
rice crops in the state to save water
and environment,” he said.
Smog is a serious threat
to the region and most experts citing the recommendations of the Institute of Strategic
Studies Islamabad believe that
although air pollution in Pakistan is a complicated challenge, some concrete
and solid steps must be taken to protect public health and the environment.
Among the list of long-term actionable solutions given and proposed for the reduction
of smog and improve air quality are — ban on substandard fuel, promotion of
hybrid and electric vehicles and increasing public transport, production of
renewable energy to get rid of fossil fuels, management of industrial pollution,
monitoring of recycling, increasing tree plantation and incentivizing research
and development in the field of smog and zero tolerance on stubble and waste burning.
Syed
Mohammad Ali, a nonresident scholar
at the Middle East institute, who also teaches at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins
Universities, wrote an article in Foreign Policy magazine on Lahore air
pollution, where he said: “In the absence of comprehensive and
concerted efforts to combat air pollution, Lahore, once known as the ‘city of
gardens’ is tragically choking on toxic air. Instead of looking forward to the
welcomed reprieve of winter months, Lahore’s 13 million residents now must
brace themselves for another bout of smog, which has acquired the status of a
fifth season.”
With an alarming
situation arising every year, especially during the winter months, it is
imperative for the governments of both countries to sit down and work out a
solution to this grave issue that stares at us. Governments of
both — India and Pakistan — need to clear the air about the steps being taken
to tackle the harmful effects of ‘toxic’ air that the residents of both
countries are breathing. Otherwise the day’s not far when this will turn into a
pandemic where residents of both countries will be seen making a beeline
outside hospitals, gasping to get
some fresh air!
Expert
speaks
Rafay Alam, an
activist and lawyer, says merely believing that stubble burning is the only
major cause for smog would not be correct. He refers to an Urban Unit study
that clearly says that vehicular and industrial emissions are two main
contributors of smog in the region. He believes that no short-term solution was
workable, hence the governments must
understand the fact that environmental issues cannot be solved overnight by ad-hoc
policies such as closing schools and businesses, spraying water on roads or
cloud seeding, etc. He thinks that long-term planning and implementation of
concrete strategies were the only way forward.
FACTFILE
AQI zero-50: Good
AQI 51-100: Satisfactory
AQI 101-200: Moderate
AQI 201-300: Poor
AQI 301-400: Very poor
AQI 401-450: Severe
AQI above 450: Severe plus
Do your bit to reduce smog:
·
Drive less, instead
pool a car
·
Avoid using substandard fuel
·
Promote hybrid or electric vehicles and encourage using public
transport
·
Service your
vehicles regularly
·
Avoid stubble
burning
Writers are East-West center Alumnus and part of Pak India Journalist Exchange programme
