Air pollution has become a nuisnce in all big and small urban centres.

However, Lahore is the most affected. Every winter, the life of Lahoris is badly affected by smog, a king of air pollution whichis dangerous for both human being and animals. There is no denying that most of the air pollution in Urban Lahore is caused by the heavy  blanket of smog caused by various factors including the long lanes of millions of vehicles and that the epicenter of smog is an area of a few kilometers radius within the city. In which there are provincial secretariats, offices, countless courts, bazaars, markets and countless high-rise commercial buildings where millions of people come in their motor vehicles every day from all over the city and the entire province. 

These buildings and the ACs running here cause pollution and atmospheric turbulence. Due to the devastation of smog and pollution, the city of gardens, Lahore, is currently a sick city and is also being held captive by outdated planning.  To keep the city’s amenities alive, it is necessary that all stakeholders, i.e. the rulers, the public, political and social circles, immediately start implementing an effective reform plan, i.e. Mitigation Plan. Such a plan requires all the stakeholders sacrifice our financial interests.  This plan as suggested by environment experts and publised in newspapers can make a difference. The details of which are as follows. The area within a radius of at least twenty kilometers from the city center should be considered affected and sensitive, and further commercialization should be banned here so that vehicle traffic is limited. According to modern research, tall buildings promote heat islands around them.

Due to which the winds become slow or stagnant and thus cause local smog.  Further construction of tall buildings should be stopped in this sensitive zone for the time being. The Central Business District (CBD) should be tested in the outer areas of Lahore (Outer Ring Road) for the adventure of constructing high-rise commercial buildings or should be shifted outside Lahore. It is believed that the ratio of concrete to green envelope in the city has become dangerously harmful.  It should be improved so that concrete should be laid on streets, markets, roofs should be avoided. To limit the movement of vehicles in the sensitive zone (20 km radius), a public transport system should be launched at the homes, housing societies and institutional levels and all types of vehicles should be shifted to electric power instead of organic petrol and hydrocarbon fuels. The routine business and office activities of the city have been blocked and limited in a small area of the sensitive zone. Which is a clear proof of the incompetence of the planners and administrative officials.  Instead of any kind of remorse from such elements, more high-rise buildings are being constructed. In this environment of air pollution, there is no legal or moral justification for such constructions and activities. 

This chaos has put the ecological survival of the entire city at risk. Millions of commuters travel long distances daily and invade central Lahore, spreading pollutants. Under modern planning principles, instead of concentrating office, routine and business activities in one place, they should be spread out in proportion to the population outside the city. The worst constructions have caused tremendous damage to the air and ecological survival (Ecology) of the city of Lahore.  An example of which is the careless planning and construction of underpasses and flyovers. The newly constructed elevated ring road from Babu Sabu to Niazi Chowk is not only a waste of billions of rupees but is also silting the city’s air.  According to a cautious estimate, the construction activities of the newly created organization RUDA will not only severely affect the thousands of years old ecology of the Ravi River. It is feared that the concrete constructions on both sides of the Ravi bank will further destroy the air pattern of the city of Lahore. Which will sabotage the anti-smog efforts in the future.  It is better to review the multi-construction projects of  Commercial, residential and office constructions should be removed from its scope and the project should be limited to purely environmental and water management. Also, the promotion of forests in a wider area on both sides of the river will stabilize the flora and fauna of the city. Which will prevent the environmental degradation of Lahore city compared to construction. To prevent the import of smog from outside Lahore, a close watch should be kept on suburban agricultural activities. Stubble burning in fields and the use of coal as fuel in energy plants should be banned and legislation should be made.  In the light of the decisions of the UN-administered No Trade Convention 2002, a joint strategy should be formulated in collaboration with neighboring countries so that the transboundary movement of smog can be prevented. 

Through this convention, neighboring countries, despite their mutual competition, have been obliged to exchange useful information to control air pollution and emissions and organize study tours for experts. To combat the rapidly increasing environmental degradation and its adverse effects, we need a modern and organized technical force. At present, the environmental departments are under the influence of the defunct colonial administrative structure and have taken the form of the revenue department. Here, there are immediate action for political and administrative officials and immediate NOC facilities for government mega projects. While for the common people, traditional laziness and red tape are prevalent. Therefore, the need of the hour is that such technical departments should be given under the management of competent but professional leadership. Which should provide services and awareness regardless of mere revenue increase and financial benefits and also double the sick environment of Lahore.