PUNJAB, which is already struggling to grapple with the challenge thrown by floods and incessant rains in parts of the province, is now facing the threat of smog and the situation is aggravating due to a combination of internal and external factors. The provincial government said on Monday that smog is set to intensify across Lahore and other parts of the province due to a combination of local emissions and pollutants carried by low-speed winds from India, following Diwali celebrations. The Environment Protection Department said winds blowing from New Delhi and other parts of India at a speed of 4-7km/h are moving toward Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Similarly, the southern districts of Multan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar will also be affected due to pollutants from across the border in the wake of Diwali festivities that feature fireworks.
Pollution has become a serious issue as, according to air quality monitoring platform IQAir, Lahore has become the third most polluted city in the world in terms of air quality. The Indian factor is a real threat as the air quality index in New Delhi on Tuesday (morning) stood at 535 and that of Lahore at 266. The provincial government is surely taking a number of measures to check the pollution. It started water sprinkling operations from Sunday night and activated anti-smog guns in the most affected areas in a bid to combat smog. The seriousness of the Government can be gauged by the fact that the Lahore police arrested 83 persons and registered 77 cases as part of its ongoing anti-smog operation. The arrests targeted a range of pollution sources – 68 people were detained for smoke emissions from factories, kilns and vehicles, nine for burning tyres, plastic and shopping bags and six for burning crop residue. However, the success of the campaign hinges on active cooperation of the citizens and a similar commitment by the Indian Government to deal with the issue. Citizens can minimize the impact of the problem on their health by adhering to precautionary measures like use of masks and covering construction sites and vehicles transporting material.
