Will govt's 'unreliable' AQI figures deepen issue?

Seemingly in a bid to underscore the severity of the problem, the government has propagated unverified figures regarding the Lahore Air Quality Index to alert the local populous.

It links the air pollution to Diwali celebration and crop burning in India from where more toxic winds are expect to come into the country.

The written material shared by the senior provincial minister stated that the severity of air pollution in Lahore has reached alarming levels.

Citing meteorological experts, it said smoke clouds from crop burning in Indian states are being carried by strong winds into Pakistan, causing Lahore's air quality index (AQI) to reach a hazardous level of 1,000.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb warned that this intense smog poses respiratory and other health risks to Lahore's residents. She urged citizens to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and to wear masks, especially those suffering from respiratory, chest, or heart conditions.

Further citing experts, it stated that it is anticipated that the smog could persist for the next 48 hours. NASA has also released an air quality map showing the smoke emissions from crop burning in India, highlighting the significant impact on Pakistan's air pollution levels.

Marriyum Aurangzeb noted a slight improvement in Lahore's air quality, with the AQI dropping from 1,000 to 283, due to a change in wind direction from India, now blowing southward. However, the winds are expected to shift again by afternoon, which could lead to another increase in smog.

Winds from the Indian city of Ajnala are approaching Muridke, near Lahore, raising concerns of worsening air quality. The senior minister advised the public to wear masks and avoid going outdoors unnecessarily to stay safe from health issues.

She further stated that the Punjab government has intensified its cleanup operation to counter smog. A green lockdown is in effect in various areas of the Punjab provincial capital, particularly around Shimla Pahari and neighboring regions, where water is being regularly sprayed to reduce air pollution.

Additionally, action has been taken against encroachments from Empress Road to Railway Headquarters and Haji Camp, with inspections of generators at PTCL, Pakistan Stock Exchange, Lahore Stock Exchange, and Aiwan-e-Iqbal. Monitoring of food points and generators is also ongoing to control smoke-emitting sources.

Marriyum Aurangzeb also shared that Lahore Parking Company has increased its workforce to improve traffic flow and minimise vehicle emissions. Authorities have seized over 50 smoke-emitting carts and are continuously clearing illegal encroachments, open waste, and debris to reduce smog's impact on the city.

Environment Protection Department officials claimed that as per their reading, the worst reading taken today was 599, contrary to what the minister claimed.

The official said that these readings are taken from privately installed air quality stations that have not been approved or certified by any relevant department. He said that the government was instead relying on its own reading to project a more factual position which too was hazardous by all means.

He added that placing reliance on such questionable data, to say the least, will make the world question the seriousness towards the issue. Readings coming from these privately-owned monitoring stations was comically high.

He said that the department has already procured 15 more air quality stations, which would be commissioned shortly. The official continued that at present, the government only has three air quality monitoring stations that are fully functional.

He stated that at present, other than crop burning, it was the Diwali factor that exacerbated the problem on this side of the border.

He said that this was a transnational issue which requires both the Pakistan and Indian governments to sit together to form some SOPs

It is pertinent to mention here that a ban was placed in Indian cities over fireworks on religious occasions of Diwali, however the ban was flagrantly flouted that took Delhi at the top of the world's most polluted city.