The grand Faisal Mosque is seen covered in heavy smog in Islamabad. PHOTO: AFP
The letter was written on November 19th, requesting Punjab Chief Minister, India Capt. (retd) Amarinder Singh, to enter into a regional arrangement to address smog issue and environmental pollution.
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The letter available with The Express Tribune stated, “You (Punjab CM, India) are aware that since last year, the people of both Pakistan and India in Punjab have been facing the problem of smog during October and November. This year, the problem had aggravated and widespread. It goes without saying that the smog has an adverse impact on public health especially on children and elderly people. Moreover, the issue also causes agriculture problem in the form of delayed sowing of wheat and damage to potato and other crops. Similarly, road accidents also take place.”
“The main causes of smog range from vehicular and industrial emissions to rice stubble burning. The phenomenon has now assumed regional proportions and it engulfs the areas from New Delhi to Lahore and beyond. You will agree with me (CM, Punjab Pakistan) that the problem is essentially scientific and economic and cannot be tackled through other means.”
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“I firmly believe that it is in the interest of the people of both India and Pakistan (Punjabs) to make a collective effort to identify technologies and business methods that may eliminate the need to burn rice-stubble and help control smog formation. With this in view, I (CMP Pakistan) would like to invite you to enter into a regional cooperation arrangement to deal with smog issue and environmental pollution.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2017.
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