How is smog killing South Asians?

In our childhood days, winter used to bring heavy fog to many cities in Punjab. As kids, it looked so magical to us. It reminded me of the August months in Murree, where clouds still venture into your rooms and roads. But over the years, innocence of fog was stolen by the unplanned urbanisation of Pakistan. In the same years, public transport was ended, and shortsighted rulers encouraged the masses to take commercial loans to buy new cars and motorcycles. From merely 1.5 million vehicles registered in Pakistan in 1990, the number ballooned to more than 7 million vehicles by 2022. Parallel to this, Pakistan was also losing 27,000 hectares of natural forest every year. Neighbouring India has pretty much the same story. Now cities of both countries top the list of most polluted cities in the world.

Smog is a deadly mix of air and tiny droplets, which carries many deadly chemicals, and the worst is particulate matter (PM) which includes dust, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, ammonia gas, etc. They are inhaled and settle directly in the lungs, especially the small ones, which are PM2.5. Main contributors are vehicle exhaust, industrial smoke, dusty construction works and our regional special "crop burning". However, the biggest contributors are still vehicle and industrial emissions.

Citizens of Delhi, Lahore and most of Punjab on both sides of the border come into the grips of thick, acidic and dirty smog every year. Every citizen who is breathing in this air is cutting short his life by inhaling these small particles, which settle in the lungs and damage multiple body organs. It's more than just a winter nuisance that people have to face for a few months. It's not just about the inconvenience of coughing, flu-like symptoms, watery eyes and allergic reactions. Smog is killing us in big numbers. According to some studies, environmental pollution has decreased four years of the average life of citizens of India and Pakistan. This is nearly double the loss as compared to the global average.

According to UNEP, nearly half of all deaths due to chronic pulmonary obstructive disease could be attributed to fine particulate outdoor air pollution. It is also responsible for 30% of deaths due to lower respiratory infections, but very few understand or are aware that it is also responsible for around 30% of deaths due to heart disease and stroke. It is also causing around 20% lungs and other airway cancers. In recent studies, it has also been seen responsible for breast and other cancers. It is also responsible for preterm babies with different neonatal issues, including a decrease in cognitive abilities and neonatal deaths. It's also responsible for increase in diabetes.

It is very clear that smog is not a seasonal problem but a major threat to the health of South Asians. Just like infectious diseases don't respect international borders, similarly, environmental challenges like smog need to be tackled by a regional strategy and collaborative work. That should include moving towards cleaner energy sources for commercial and residential, including vehicles; increasing tree cover and limiting services that produce dust or smoke in these months; and encouraging better urban planning with walkable cities and houses that may need less energy to operate. These are critical steps but will take years to implement.

At the individual level, if you are living in Delhi, Lahore or in adjoining areas of Punjab, how could you protect yourself? Avoid outdoor activities as much as you can and use KN95 masks on days when the Air Quality Index is bad. Try to use public transport where available. Pool cars when going to work or university with friends. It will not only save money but also reduce emissions in the city. Educate the public on how to avoid activities that could increase air pollution, like burning garbage, etc. This is a collective problem, and only solutions are collective. We are all in this boat together - rich and poor, rulers and subjects. So let's work together to save our lives.