Car free

This is to draw the attention of the authorities to Lahore’s persistent ranking as the world’s most polluted city for the past several weeks. The situation in other cities of Pakistan is also gloomy. Children, especially infants, are frequently getting sick with persistent cold, cough and fever. Even in 2018, a WHO report stated that around 93 percent of the world’s children breathe toxic air daily. Given the state of affairs now, the situation will only worsen.

It is the need of the hour that our policymakers and planners take corrective measures before the situation deteriorates. The PTI government has already taken initiatives to plant more trees, but that is not enough. This method will take time to yield results. One suggestion for immediate result is to declare Friday or Sunday a car free day. Many cities in Europe already celebrate ‘World Car Free Day’ on September 22. This would also result in considerable fuel savings across the country.

Khalid Ismail

Islamabad