Most of the cities of Punjab, especially Lahore, have been under the worst smog for the last few months, which paralyzed the entire system of life. Every second person has been suffering from respiratory, throat, stomach and eye disorders, even Because of this, educational institutions had to be closed several times.

The cure for smog is rain, which was not happening naturally. However, due to the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, with the support of the United Arab Emirates, artificial rain was successfully tested for the first time in Pakistan, which reduced the smog in several areas of Lahore.

Alhamdulillah, the first artificial rain has occurred in Pakistan, in the first mission, 48 fire flares were fired for cloud seeding in the morning and the second artificial rain mission was started after some time, thanks to which it rained around Shahdara and Muridke because the required clouds and wind were present, after which artificial rain fell in about ten areas of Lahore.

Government of Punjab did not spend any money, they are thankful to United Arab Emirates that their entire team is present in Pakistan for the last fortnight to make artificial rain, our main aim was to make it rain so that the smog settles down.

According to the Chief Minister, the result of the second artificial rain mission will be clear  now.

The Chief Minister rightly said that "saving people's lives is important, not saving money". The successful experiment of artificial rain is undoubtedly a milestone. Human life is more important than anything and now we should also start using modern technology.

It may be mentioned here that Lahore dwellers are facing health hazards due to smog threat, which had engulfed Punjab for more than a month.

On the one hand, increased number of traffic accidents were reported due to smog on the motorways, while on the other hands, the chest and asthma diseases were on the rise due to pollution which has risen to alarming level with the advent of the winter season.

In order to control the smog threat, the chief minister of Punjab had also imposed a temporary ban on all businesses and also closed educational institutions for weeks. An emergent situation had developed and the district and divisional administrations of the most polluted cities also issued instructions to take the strictest measures as due to smog, there are bad effects on the health and mind of the people.

Choking was not taking the name of ending.  In some cases, the way was not even visible. If inhaled, throat irritation and burning sensation was felt.

Doctors had advised to drink more water, keep cold patches on the eyes. Sprinkle water in the morning and evening, sprinkle the streets. On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture and Meteorology seemed to be worried separately, they catch one and leave the other.

 Measures to deal with air pollution have been going on for a long time, sometimes one comes and the other goes.

It is very unfortunate that the people of Lahore fell in grip of smog every year due to which they are not only developing chest and  lung diseases but their livelihood and economic activities are also suffering in recent years during the winter months. In recent weeks, the choking hazard, with the smell of smog, had reached an alarming level and health practitioners had advised the citizens to use masks to avoid health hazards air pollution that is seeping into homes in and around the capital city. 

The well-do-people were buying air purifiers but the low income people were at greater risk as they cannot afford the safety measures. Children and the elderly at greater risk and doctors were advised them to stay indoors at critical hours when smog is at its peak. To be very specific, it is a sort of horrible air pollution which turns into public health emergency in winter  in  Punjab , particularly the Lahore city, which is experiencing this menace for more than a decade but despite the sufferings by the people, the previous Governments have miserably failed to  form a strategy to avert this yearly crisis. As the mid of November approaches, the citizens of Lahore become more vulnerable to respiratory ailments and chest infections. According to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index, Lahore is on top of the list of most polluted cities in the world with the worst harmful air quality levels. Even India's Delhi and Kolkata come after Pakistan and a placed at third and fourth while Karachi is the fifth city Lahore showed a particulate matter (PM) rating of  over 300 due to which the city in included in the "hazardous" category of air quality. Different areas of Lahore fared worse. The Kot Lakhpat (industrial area) crossed over 400, with Fatehgarh housing most of the steel melting industry, and other areas near 400 AQI. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) instead of doing something concrete to mitigate the sufferings of Lahori’s only released a monthly report recently about its steps to control smog. And its activities as seen from its report are just to collect Rs38 million fine from different sectors which is not a solution.   The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and other related organizations have also miserably failed to form a comprehensive strategy in this hazardous matter.  Such smog has also been impacting the economy of the affected region but there is a need for climate activism from the civil society too, which has not been as proactive in Pakistan as it should have been. Experts say that Air pollution has worsened in the country in recent years due to a number of factors including a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from industrial units crop burn off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into stagnant clouds of smog. Besides, India is also responsible for smog menace in Lahore as the India burning of fuels, smoke from vehicular and plants emissions, explosive material used near Pakistan border by India, burning of rice stubbles that send smog across the border to Lahore. It has also been noticed that after Diwali, Lahore experiences greater hazards smog every year.  The purpose to say is that smog is not a natural phenomenon but a man-made hazard and it needs multiple strategies at national and regional levels to control it.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 20 2023

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