Dark winter

By Editorial Board
November 10, 2023

Commuters make their way through a busy street amid smoggy conditions in Lahore. —
AFP

Smog – a combination of smoke and fog – was always a

reminder of the downside of the industrial progress made by
humans. But it was never really an impossible-to-fix situation. In
Lahore, for example, back in the 80s and 90s the fog that lurked
in the winter was smoke-free. With the rise of industry,
pollutants, vehicular smoke emissions, and a population that is
exploding at the seams, ‘smog’ has become an unwanted and
toxic guest every winter. This thick blanket of smoke, dust,
toxins has turned Lahore into a city of grey – not even sepia
now – and is a health hazard for all and we are back in the
midst of a smog emergency in Punjab, especially lahore.
Hospital emergency rooms are filled with scores of people,
notably the elderly and children, coming in with respiratory
problems, eye problems, breathing issues and other conditions
related to the mixture of smoke and particles of pollutants
which hang in the thick polluted air of Lahore.
The situation is dire across the city, where in some places the
air quality index (AQI) has reached dangerous levels. The failure
of successive governments to take long-term measures is
proving to be extremely dangerous for the city and its people. In
a bid to control the situation, the caretaker chief minister of
Punjab declared a four-day holiday beginning on Thursday, with
markets and schools to remain closed in a bid to control traffic
and smog. Authorities in Pakistan believe that crop burning in
India is also a major cause of smog here and that state-level
talks need to take place to combat the problem.

While we cannot say whether India and Pakistan will sit together
to draft a mechanism to deal with the problem, we have to keep
a check on our internal factors that are leading to dangerous
levels of air pollution. The current emergency plan is at best only
a temporary measure. We need a long-term plan to deal with
smog and cut down its ill effects on people. A full-fledged
strategy needs to be worked out and put in place as quickly as
possible in order to simply allow people to breathe and once
more enjoy the pristine winters which were once the hallmark of
Lahore. But preventive measures taken to deal with the problem
will also mean lifestyle changes, which means that people will
have to reduce their dependence on private vehicles and must
opt for public transportation, wherever possible. The handling of
the situation by successive governments has been poor and
lacks buy-in from the people. For now, the government has to
create awareness among people about mask-wearing, so that
they can be spared from contracting lethal diseases caused by
pollution. Authorities have to invest on a mass scale in devices
that can clean the air. At present, those who are well-off are able
to buy devices that can allow them to keep their offices and
homes pollutant-free. It is now on the government to take steps
that save the lives of all residents of Lahore. Poor air quality is a
silent killer. Combatting it does not win elections. But it does
save lives. And that is what our government and other
governments in the developing world must prioritize.