Smog of Lahore: The government lifted restrictions as the sun rose.

KARACHI: Atif Manzoor, 45, owner of a popular blue pottery business in Multan, had every reason to be happy when the sun came out last week. For three weeks, the city of Sufi shrines was shrouded in thick smog.

He said business was terrible for more than three weeks, with “several orders cancelled” and advance payments returned. He also had to bear the transport costs he had already paid after the government imposed restrictions on heavy traffic and closed motorways due to poor visibility.

Since the last week of October, dense smog has engulfed cities across Punjab, home to 127 million people. Multan, with a population of 2.2 million, recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 2,000, surpassing the provincial capital Lahore, where the AQI exceeded 1,000.

Although Lahore’s AQI has improved, it still fluctuates between 250 (very unhealthy) and 350 (dangerous) on the Swiss company’s scale, making it one of the top cities with the world’s worst air quality. is placed in As this article was published, it was 477, or “very unhealthy.”

Describing the AQI levels in Punjab, especially Lahore and Multan, as “unprecedented”, Punjab’s Environment Secretary, Raja Jahangir Anwar, said, “Construction regulations, poor fuel quality, and old vehicles that emit smoke are allowed on the roads. Blamed for giving, burning the residue.Some factors in the rice crop to prepare the fields for wheat planting are smog in winter when the air near the ground becomes cold and dry.

Manzoor was not alone in his predicament. The smog disrupted the lives of everyone in the province, including students, office workers, and those who owned or worked in smoke-emitting businesses such as kilns, restaurants, construction, factories or transport, officials said. After imposing sanctions on them by

Even farmers in rural areas were not spared. Hasan Khan, a 60-year-old farmer from Kasur, said lack of sunlight, poor air quality, delays in transportation prevent laborers from reaching the fields, and poor visibility all hamper farming and harvest. are inhibiting the development of

“Smog hinders plant growth by blocking sunlight and slowing photosynthesis, and because we do flood irrigation, fields stay wet for longer, which makes crops less productive,” he said. is stressed, and the trees started shedding their leaves because of the poor air quality,” he said.

Divine intervention or blueskiing

After weeks of continuous smog, residents of Punjab were demanding artificial rainfall, as was done last year. The process involves releasing chemicals such as silver iodide from airplanes to induce rain. However, Anwar explained that artificial precipitation requires specific weather conditions, including the right humidity levels, cloud formation, and wind patterns. “We only do cloud seeding when there is at least a 50 percent chance of rain,” he said.

On 15 November, favorable weather conditions allowed cloud seeding in several cities and towns in the Potohar Plateau of Punjab, leading to natural rainfall in and around Islamabad. The forecast has also predicted that it will rain in Lahore.

On November 23, Lahore received its first winter rains, which helped clear the thick, toxic smog that was causing eye irritation and sore throats, revealing the sun and a clear blue sky. However, some believe that the rain was the result of a collective prayer for rain, Namaz-i-Istaqa, held in mosques across the province, a request for divine intervention.

But cloud seeding has its critics. Dr. Ghulam Rasool, adviser to the China Pakistan Joint Research Center and former head of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, warned that cloud cover can reduce smog temporarily but is not a sustainable solution. Instead, it can create drier conditions that can worsen fog and smog. He also warned that large amounts of hail or heavy rain could occur.

After smog subsided and air quality improved, the government relaxed its restrictions, allowing shops and restaurants (with barbecues if the smoke can be controlled) to remain open until 8pm and 10pm respectively. gave Schools and colleges have also opened, and construction work, operation of brick kilns, and heavy transport vehicles (carrying passengers, fuel, medicine and foodstuffs), including ambulances, rescue, fire brigade, prison and police vehicles. The ban has been imposed. was also taken. In addition, the government has installed 30 air quality monitors around Lahore and other cities of the province.

According to medical experts, although the air may be cleaner, health problems are expected to persist as a result. Over the past 30 days, the official tally of people seeking treatment for respiratory problems in the province’s smog-affected districts has crossed 1.8 million. Official news agency in Lahore, The Associated Press of Pakistan5,000 cases of asthma were reported.

“Frankly, these figures seem to be under-reported,” said Dr Ashraf Nizami, president of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Lahore chapter.

“This is just the beginning,” warned Dr. Salman Kazmi, an internist in Lahore. “More cases of respiratory infections and heart diseases are expected,” he said.

UNICEF also warned that 1.1 million children under the age of five in the province are at risk due to air pollution. “Young children are at greater risk because of their smaller lungs, weaker immune systems and rapid breathing,” the agency said.

Ineffective Band-Aid solutions

Although the government took several measures to control smog, few people were affected. Imran Khalid, a climate management expert, blames “environmental misgovernance for the deterioration of already poor air quality across Pakistan”, calling the anti-smog plan a “crowd of generic policy measures” that I have no long-term measurable plan.

He argued that the plan only targets seasonal smog, rather than taking a “regional, collective approach” to fight air pollution throughout the Indus-Gangetic plains, not just in Lahore or Multan.

Dr Anjum said, “I will take it seriously when I see a complete action plan in one place, which will first assess the causes and then represent the civil society with a timeline for implementation. The Walli Committee will be monitored,” said Dr. Anjum. Altaf, an academic who specializes in environmental studies as well as several fields. “Until then, it’s just words!” He added.

Khalid said plans and policies can only be successful if they are evidence-based, comprehensive, bottom-up, and “implemented by well-trained officials, backed by political power and resources, to address the challenges.” Be flexible in response, and focus on health, people.”

Others argue that the slow response to the decades-long smog crisis, despite a clear understanding of its causes, reflects a case of misplaced priorities.

“It’s all about priorities,” said Arish Sardar, a design educator, curator and writer based in Lahore. “Many years ago, when the government wanted to end the dengue epidemic, it succeeded,” he said.

“The mosquitoes were eradicated once they reached the residences of the officials,” said Kisan Khan, agreeing that remarkable changes can happen when there is political will.

Zufin Ibrahim is a freelance journalist. She posts on X @zofeen28.

This article was originally published by the Interpress Service News Agency in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations at the UN Bureau. It is reproduced on Geo.tv with permission.