The problem of smog is not new, especially when you are living in Punjab. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has recently ordered the Punjab government to impose a smog emergency and call for a meeting to take precautionary measures before extreme cold weather takes hold.
Following the decision of the LHC, Punjab’s Secretary for Environment has stressed the need to undertake collective measures to eliminate smog. The smog issue is particularly significant during the winter season because of the cold and dry conditions. The air quality index of most of the Punjab cities is making headlines due to its bad quality and smog is playing a major part in it.
Prolonged exposure to smog can cause various health problems including asthma, lung damage and heart problems. Earlier estimates revealed that nearly 128,000 Pakistanis die annually because of air pollution-related diseases. Despite projects such as the Billion Tree Tsunami, most cities lack adequate forest cover to absorb carbon emissions.
The high reliance on private vehicles that are seldom tested for smoke emissions, coupled with industrial pollution, brick-kilns burning coal and fossil fuels to keep homes warm during the winters, have accelerated the problem.
Preemptive measures such as urging industrialists not to support elements that are using carbon, rubber and other prohibited fuels along with introducing technology to control industrial pollution can considerably lower smog levels. However, to drastically reduce air pollution, long-term and widespread measures need to be adopted such as encouraging citizens to switch to public transport. Improving public transport and introducing electric vehicles across the country must be a part of the plan.
Earlier, the Punjab government also pressed brick-kiln owners to switch to zig-zag technology to overcome emissions and smog in winter. In the last few years, smog wreaked havoc across Punjab bringing all daily activities to a halt. The provincial government has also slapped fines on stubble burning in the province- specially in Lahore.
The decisions of the Lahore High Court and the Punjab government are there to address the smog issue, but we are still missing the will to implement the orders to curb this issue of smog.
