Environmental urgency

Earlier this week, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued a spate of decisions addressing the escalating environmental issues in the provincial capital. In the last few years, Lahore has consistently held the undesirable position of being the world’s most polluted city. In winter, the city faces additional challenges, particularly due to smog, a phenomenon characterised by a combination of fog and air pollutants that form a hazy and harmful atmospheric condition. To tackle this, the Punjab government was contemplating a strategy involving artificial rain. Justice Karim criticised these plans and emphasised the necessity of sincere and effective measures. Consequently, he mandated a penalty of Rs1 million for factories contributing to air pollution by emitting smoke.

Commercial and residential users will face fines for their purportedly careless water usage. Justice Karim also pledged to take action against officials accused of corruption within the environment department. This should serve as an example to other municipal and provincial authorities, especially Karachi, which has recently been trading positions with Lahore as the world’s most polluted city. Most urban cities are teeming with vehicles. This, coupled with the increase in commercial activities and the removal of green belts and urban forests, is exacerbating environmental issues across Pakistan.

Despite appeals from local and international climate activists as well as humanitarian organisations, federal and provincial authorities have merely paid lip service without taking substantial action. There is an urgent need to implement preemptive measures in densely populated cities like Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar where a deteriorating environment poses a significant threat to the well-being of millions of people. LHC’s endeavours to foster responsible citizenship to safeguard the region’s air and water resources should serve as a stark reminder for all cities to adopt similar measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2023.

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