s Lahore tops AQI’s list of the world’s most polluted cities, the Punjab government has announced an emergency plan to tackle smog. They are calling it a “green lockdown.” It will be imposed in designated areas, identified as smog hotspots, across the city.

In the said areas, restrictions are being imposed on barbecue joints, motorcycle-rickshaws and marriage halls. The government has also mandated the use of face masks in public spaces.

However, some experts say the measures are going to be inadequate and ineffective.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has called on the authorities in the Indian Punjab to join forces and fight the menace together. She is expected to write to her Indian counterpart seeking their cooperation in the dealing with the environmental crisis.

In order to comprehend the government’s contingency plan, TNS spoke with the environment protection secretary, Raja Jahangir Anwar. He said: “Let me define smog first. Basically, smog is a mixture of smoke and fog. It is there round the year. It thickens in the months of October and November, and engulfs the city. The condition continues till January.”

He listed the key points that were considered when the government was formulating an anti-smog policy: a) what the government can do about smog; b) why it had happened; c) why it has become a part of our daily lives now, and d) what can others in the world do to help us counter it.

“Let me tell you, Pakistan is not the only country faced with the problem,” he continued. “In the 1950s and ’60s, London was known for thick smog. But the UK government overcame this problem. Huge resources were brought into use; theirs was a long battle.”

A scientific study is being carried out in collaboration with Suparco, to provide genuine information regarding the actual reasons for smog.

Anwar also quoted the example of Luxembourg and other cities in Europe and Asia that had witnessed similar phenomena in the past. “Post Industrial Revolution, hundreds of factories were set up. This caused plumes of smoke to enter the upper atmosphere on a regular basis. This phenomenon adversely impacted the ecosystem.

“China is another case in point. In 2009, the situation grew so bad that the Chinese government had to shut down the whole country,” he added.

“Some of these countries are still struggling with the problem [of smog].”

Replying to a query, he said, “No government can tackle such issues without public participation. Public engagement is key.

“Citizens can help the government in many ways. They can comply with the SOPs issued by the government and change their lifestyles and commuting habits.”

The secretary observed, “Lahore has become a city where a majority of people are compelled to breathe unhealthy air on most days of the year. Let’s not forget that it is home to 1.5 million people, which now has about 4.5 million motorcycles, 1.3 million cars, 2,500 industrial units and several brick kilns. Further, Lahore is surrounded by cities like Sheikhupura, Kasur and Gujranwala and vast rice fields. This year the rice crop has been cultivated on 6.6 million acres of land, which is 10 percent more than the previous year. This means that more farmers could be burning stubble this year.”

Anwar revealed that a scientific study was being carried out in collaboration with Suparco, to provide genuine information regarding the actual reasons for smog.

“The air quality keeps changing,” he maintained. “It is observed that the city reaches hazardous levels at certain times of the day, roughly between 11pm and 5am. The air quality worsens as heavy vehicles carrying construction material, sand and cement operate at night.”

He also said Lahore’s expansion and the construction work involved were affecting the air quality. “On top of that, the winds from East Punjab cause a surge in smog in the city,” he said.

Anwar said that vehicular emissions too were contributing to the problem.

The writer is a print and broadcast journalist