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Air pollution- causes, impacts and remedies

Mushtaq Ahmad Mahindro

According to the latest study “India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China are home to the top
50 cities worldwide with the dirtiest air. Seven of the world's 10 worst polluted cities are in India.
Out of the 20 most polluted cities worldwide, 18 were in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh”. (David
Child-News/Asia). As per the World Health Organization seven million people are killed every
year due to air pollution. Other non-fatal effects include irregular heartbeats, aggravated asthma
and decreased lung function, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Air pollution defined:

Air pollution is the presence of the undesirable impurities in the atmosphere that may be visible
(dust, smoke, smog) or invisible (excessive Carbon dioxide CO2, Carbon mono oxide CO,
methane CH4, Sulphur dioxide SO2, etc.) hazardous for human life. These pollutants may result
in so many air born human diseases and even be responsible for ozone depletion, and global
warming caused by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons/aerosols, and greenhouse gases like
carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane CH4 respectively.

Causes:
These toxic substances are mainly produced by human activities (mainly by emissions from
locomotives, industrial emissions by burning of fossil fuels – coal, petroleum, and natural gas).
This may also result from natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, and wildfires.
Agricultural activities like use of pesticides also contribute to air pollution.

Impacts:
Air pollution has a major impact on human health in the form of increased respiratory diseases
and allergies induced due to breathing in of toxic gasses and dust particles. It also contributes to
the formation of acid rain, development of smog (combination of smoke and fog).
On top of it, air pollution is a major contributor to global warming and climate change as the
accumulation of carbon dioxide and methane in the air is the major cause of the greenhouse effect.

Remedies:
1. Use of renewable/clean sources of energy:
The most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil fuels, replacing them with
alternative energies like solar, wind, hydel, and geothermal.
2. Use of Eco-friendly locomotives:
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Shifting to electric vehicles like Tesla, and hybrid cars can help in reducing the air pollution.

Pakistan chapter:
As Air Quality Index of Lahore crosses 550, and has been categorized 2nd most polluted city
after Delhi and Karachi 3rd, environmental experts and common man both express their dismay
and worries about the problems related with this untoward onslaught particularly the smog and fog
in winters making the visibility almost blind level in many parts of Pakistan particularly the plain
areas of Punjab.
The sources for this air pollution inter alia include vehicular pollution with very poor quality
of fuel and poor performing internal combustion systems of vehicles along with lack of pollution
control technologies in our vehicles, industrial pollution, burning of municipal, industrial wastes
and crop stubble burning, and brick kilns using dirty fuels including coal. Situation is made worse
when polluted air find its way into Pakistan from across the border from India.
According to the Sectoral Emission Inventory for Punjab major portion of air pollution is coming
from the transport sector with 43pc share. The second major pollutant is industry with 25pc. The
third major pollutant is agriculture accounting for 20pc.
A number of laws do exist to address this issue in the country but it lack proper implementation,
and of course the weakness in the political will.
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