very winter, Lahore and its adjoining areas are faced with the challenge of declining air quality, impacting everyday lives, routines, the general health and wellbeing of the people. In 2023, Pakistan ranked as the second most polluted country in the world. That same year, Lahore ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the world with its Air Quality Index touching 435.

Earlier this year, the Punjab government decided to treat smog as a year-round issue to better address related challenges. Each year, in the days approaching winter, authorities run awareness campaigns to help people understand the complexity of the air quality problem and take necessary actions. This year, the government has launched a rigorous campaign to encourage people to work towards creating smog-free spaces.

Stubble and crop residue burning is one of the factors that have consistently contributed to declining air quality in the city and beyond. Come October, harvested fields are burnt to rid the land of residue crop, clearing it for the next sowing. That that stubble burning causes air pollution, creating pockets of smog, visible miles away is no news. Be that as it may, farmers require guidance, awareness campaigns, technological support and subsidies to facilitate and encourage them towards greener solutions and sustainable alternatives to crop burning.

For its part, the government has announced a subsidy scheme for the provision of super seeder and rice straw shredders to help farmers avoid stubble burning. This is just one of the many ways in which the government can support interventions aimed at promoting the use of green and clean energy projects for a smog-free Lahore.