Populous areas in the eye of smog

LAHORE:

The Punjab government is finding it difficult to protect the residents of the densely populated areas of the provincial capital from smog through preventive measures taken by the anti-smog squads, local government and traffic police.

Pollution caused by smoke-emitting vehicles, especially those with substandard engines and two-stroke rickshaws has worsened the air quality in Lahore. data gathered from various sources indicates that toxic smog and air pollution around Lahore, especially in the congested localities, have risen to alarming levels. An increasing number people from the densely populated areas are complaining of diseases caused by the smog.

Despite success in improving the environment in some cities through their measures, the authorities have failed to adequately protect the residents of Lahore’s areas having a high population, including the Township, Shahdara, Kot Lakhpat, Mugalpura, Sanda, Thokar Niaz Baig, Shad Baagh, Samanabad, Kot Radha Kishan and Kahna.

Due to the increasing level of smog, hospitals in the populous localities are reportedly receiving a growing number of patients suffering from throat and chest infection, cough, eye diseases and breathing problems.

A resident said it had become risky to move outdoors in the worst affected areas without wearing a mask.

The Punjab Environment Protection Ministry had issued an alert recently, warning the citizens that winds with smog were blowing into Pakistan from India. The ministry had advised the departments concerned to take steps to handle the situation.

The worst situation caused by smog has forced the authorities in Indian capital New Delhi to shut schools till an improvement.

Apprehensions of the residents of Lahore, as well as environmental experts in the country have also increased, resulting in increased demands for more concrete measures by all the departments concerned to curb the smog.

An official of the environment protection department claimed that the situation was better than the same month in previous years.

He said the Punjab government had taken timely steps to curb smog. "This year, we established a state of the art monitoring system at the district and city levels. Anti-smog squads were set up and we got positive results. The situation is under control in many cities of the province," he said.

However, he conceded that the authorities were struggling to cope with the smog levels in Lahore.

The official said smog had intensified in the city because emission of smoke from factories in various localities was continuing because of the failure of the anti-smog squads of the EPD to enforce the restrictions.

He said the traffic police's performance in this regard was also unsatisfactory as buses and rickshaws emitting smoke were often seen on the roads.

The official said it had been advised earlier that no factory causing pollution would be allowed to operate in the smog season and action would be taken against smoke-emitting vehicles.

The official said the government might also take strict action against the departments failing to fulfil their responsibilities to protect the citizens from smog.

An environmentalist, Professor Munawer Sabir of the Punjab University, said while speaking to The Express Tribune that the effect of the smog from India was a fact but about 45 per cent of the air pollution in Lahore was caused by vehicles and industrial units, while other factors had less role.

"We have to immediately start a crackdown against units producing carbon and substandard vehicles," he added. Dr Sabir said the citizens would have to live with the smog in the next two months.

He said the only thing that would normalise the environment was rain and strong breeze, which could dissipate the smog.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2022.