t’s just a matter of a month or two before the city will experience the much-dreaded ‘season’ of smog. Both the city government and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) are working to minimise its impact. The first thing they are trying to control is Lahore’s air pollution levels.

In a recently launched campaign, a number of factories and mills found contributing to environmental pollution have been either sealed or fined heavily. However, whether this campaign will achieve the desired results is yet to be ascertained.

It is pertinent to mention here that contrary to the claims made by the city government as well as different government agencies, Lahore has fared miserably at the AQI (air quality index) in recent years. The gravity of the situation can be gauged by the fact that Lahore jumped more than 10 places to become the city with the worst air quality in the world in 2022, according to an annual global survey by a Swiss maker of air purifiers. Sadly, the situation hasn’t changed or improved during the current year.

The AQI measures air quality levels based on the concentration of airborne particles known as PM2.5 which are extremely hazardous for human health. Their annual survey is widely cited by researchers and government organisations. Lahore’s air quality is said to have worsened to 97.4 microgrammes of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre from 86.5 in 2021, making it the most polluted city in the world.

The air quality in Lahore goes from bad to worse every year at the start of winters, around October-November, when farmers in the Punjab burn the crops’ stubble, producing lots of smoke. It’s also a time when weather changes trap the pollutants in the air for longer periods.

Speaking to TNS, EPA Punjab Deputy Director Nazim Ayaz Alam says, “It’s no secret that air pollution levels have risen alarmingly in Lahore. However, at the same time, EPA Punjab is making all-out efforts to mitigate the situation. By the Grace of Allah, this year we’ve come up with a comprehensive strategy to cope with air polluters.”

He explains that the strategy is based on enforcement of laws and massive crackdowns against the factories and mills that are causing air pollution. It is especially aimed at combating smog.

Prof Zafar cites several reasons why Lahore’s air quality is deteriorating. These include vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, fossil fuel-fired power plants, burning of waste materials, and coal burnt by thousands of brick kilns.

Alam further says that during the month of June, the provincial government notified the Punjab Environmental Protection (Smog Prevention and Control) Rules 2023. Under these Rules DG EPA and his field officers are authorised to take on-the-spot action against polluting units. What’s more, the EPA can impose a fine of up to one million rupees on polluters and can immediately stop/ seize/ demolish polluting industrial units subject to a week’s notice. The rules are available on the website of the EPD Punjab.

Alam says that under his supervision the EPA Lahore office has initiated an operation against the polluting industries in northern Lahore. “This part of Lahore is notorious for uncontrolled emissions from tire pyrolysis plants, furnaces and steel re-rolling mills,” he adds. In a massive crackdown carried out recently, 30 industrial units were sealed and fines totaling Rs 4.5 million were imposed on polluters.

t’s a task fraught with danger. Alam says, “We have to face death threats from the factory owners. Muhammad Nasir, an EPA Punjab employee, received bullet wounds while conducting an operation in Kasur.”

However, he declares that he can’t be intimidated. “We will continue the operation.”

He also speaks of his office collaborating with the Ring Road Authority to plant trees along the Ring Road to not only beautify the city but especially to control smog.

According to Alam, EPA Director General Zaheer Abbas Malik is ambitious about making Lahore a smoke free city. In this connection, he is engaging all stakeholders, and holding regular meetings with field formations.

Prof Dr Sardar Al-Farid Zafar, the Ameeruddin Medical College principal and head of the Post Graduate Medical Institute at Lahore General Hospital, says that every year the number of patients increases manifold during the start of the winter, as air pollution and smog hit the city. “Prolonged or heavy exposure to hazardous air causes varied health complications, including asthma, lung damage, bronchial infections, strokes, heart problems and shortened life expectancy,” he says.

Zafar cites several reasons why Lahore’s air quality is deteriorating. These include vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, fossil fuel-fired power plants, burning of waste materials and coal burnt by thousands of brick kilns.

The writer is a print and broadcast journalist