Brown clouds

The thick layer of smog blanketing various cities of Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Hafizabad, Gujrat and Khanewal, has placed a dampener on life. Parents suffering respiratory or eye irritation have been pouring into hospitals and the Pakistan Meteorological Department has advised all citizens out on the roads to don masks and eye protection. The smog consists mainly of dangerous pollutants including nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and other aerosols and is expected to continue for at least the next week since there is no prediction of rain. This problem is one that has been noted for almost a decade in Lahore and in other towns in Punjab. The ‘Asian Brown Cloud’ is in fact a noted environmental issue affecting the whole of the region, and caused by the number of dust and carbon particles suspended in the air.

To tackle the problem, which also poses serious health risks, the Punjab Environment Protection Department has said it is devising a comprehensive smog policy and long-term and short-terms measures are being taken. Farmers have been advised not to burn crops to clear grounds, cases are to be registered against those who persist in this practice, traffic police have been urged to control traffic jams since they result in higher carbon emissions for vehicles and factories have been warned not to burn plastic, wood or rubber for fuel. According to the EPD, 103 factories have been shut in Lahore since they were burning dangerous, low-quality materials. Section 144 has been imposed in the Punjab till mid December, allowing cases to be registered against anyone who burns garbage. The Punjab chief minister has also formed a committee to look into the problem. But it goes without saying that we should have acted many years ago, before the problem reached so dangerous a level. The Punjab Assembly passed the Environment Protection (Amendment) Bill in 2017, laying the way for a cleaner environment in the city and taking measures to prevent smog. However, it is quite obvious it will be some years before any measures taken under this law, even if they are forcefully implemented, result in a reduction in the level of pollutants and a consequent improvement in the conditions that citizens live under. Many fear it will not be long before road and air traffic is affected by the smog and it is quite obvious that long-term policies to control the problem need to be worked out immediately given that the crisis shows every sign of worsening.