he air in Lahore has become unbreathable, to say the least. As smog continues to play havoc with the citizens’s lungs, many schools have been forced to shut down for a few days. Government offices have mandated 50 percent attendance.

Roadblocks are a routine. Some of these are caused by the reduction in visibility, especially in the wee hours. For motorcycle riders, it’s a nightmare. Helmets and facemasks don’t offer complete protection against irritated eyes or inflamed throat.

But then most experts blame the menace on vehicular emissions, among other things.

It doesn’t get a lot better on Sundays. As Prof Dr Abdul Qadir of Punjab University’s Environmental Sciences Department says, toxic air levels are the result of lifestyle choices. “People curse hazardous Air Quality Index on Sunday morning but they conveniently overlook the fact that there was a lot of traffic on the roads on Saturday night,” he adds.

In recent weeks, smog has turned into a crisis, despite early claims by the government that the situation would improve. Newspapers and TV channels have carried ads warning farmers against burning of stubble. Not much has come of it. In the end, schools had to be asked to close till November 17, mask-wearing was mandated and a green lockdown was imposed in parts of the city.

According to Prof Qadir, the government is doing its bit. He says the citizens are not doing their part. He also says blaming the smoke and pollution on Indian Punjab is wrong: “Data suggests that trans-boundary air pollution amounts to mere 20 percent. The remaining [80 percent] is man-made and locally-made.”

Raja Jahangir Anwar, the provincial secretary for environment and climate change, seconds Prof Dr Qadir, saying that smog in Lahore has two components: one is a man-made disaster, to which the citizens contribute; the other is caused by specific weather patterns.

“It’s not just Lahore any longer. Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot also affected by smog. Locally, the biggest contributor to smog is vehicular traffic.”

Anwar also talks of rice cultivation on 6.6 million acres this year, which marks a 10 percent increase compared to the previous years. It also means more stubble burning. “You can’t overlook this phenomenon,” he insists. “I could show you NASA’s images. You can see a red patch shrouding India and Pakistan. This indicates the extent of stubble burning.”

Lahore is a rapidly growing city. It boasts a large number of commercial plazas, markets and housing societies. Besides, 1,200-odd brick kilns are said to be operating in its vicinity. It is also home to 6,800 factories, many of those emitting pollutants in the air.

Previously, only the Environment Protection Department of the provincial government was dealing with smog. Under the present regime, Energy, Transport and Agriculture Departments and Safe City Authority are also working to create a comprehensive smog mitigation plan. Each of these departments has been assigned specific tasks.

According to Prof Dr Abdul Qadir, blaming the smoke and pollution on the Indian Punjab is a wrong: “Data suggests that transboundary air pollution amounts to mere 20 percent. The remaining [80 percent] is man-made and locally-made.”

Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, the CEO of Punjab Model Bazaars, says his department has adopted measures for environmental sustainability. He says Model Bazaars’ open-air design is “a fundamental asset in our approach to air quality management. By leveraging the open spaces, we are able to naturally disperse pollutants, reducing the concentration of harmful particles and enhancing air circulation throughout our bazaars.

“Our strategic placement of green barriers, including hedges and trees, provides an additional layer of protection, filtering dust and airborne pollutants to create a cleaner atmosphere,” he says. “Also, we are implementing dust control measures such as periodic sprinkling of water on pathways, particularly in high-traffic areas.

“Our shift towards solar energy not only demonstrates our commitment to sustainable practices but also significantly reduces emissions by lowering our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Ahmad also talks of enhancing the waste management system to prevent open-air burning, a major smog contributor, thereby ensuring that all waste is safely collected and disposed of.

The WASA has been engaged for water sprinkling, says Abuzar Salman, a spokesperson for the agency.

The Safe City Authority is already monitoring Lahore’s entry and exit points as well as major highways to identify smog hotspots. Umer Khayam, a spokesperson for the Authority, says a crackdown has been launched against vehicles emitting smoke and people burning waste.

Despite coordinated efforts by these departments, Lahore continues to top the chart among the most polluted cities of the world. Anwar puts it down to “public awareness, based on international best practices.” He argues, “When people stop polluting their surroundings and keep their vehicles in good condition; when industries start observing the rules and regulations, we shall make significant progress with respect to air pollution.

“For a city like Lahore, 36 percent green cover is needed. Currently, we have 3.3 percent. Restoring green cover and reforesting will take time. I cannot give you a specific timeframe for this. It depends on scientific data. But if we keep working consistently, we should see positive results.”

Currently, 11 monitors are working in Lahore to report AQI data on behalf of IQAir, an international organisation. As per Anwar, these monitors are not always accurate. “Earlier, we only had four government-installed AQI monitors in Lahore. The number has now increased to nine and should reach 20 in two weeks or so. The target is [to install] 50 monitors in order to ensure credibility.”

The war on smog seems to be a long and hard one. The toxic air we’re breathing is causing respiratory diseases and could even lead to lung cancer. It is estimated that in Pakistan 250,000 deaths per year are linked to pollution.

“We cannot be sure that all citizens will adopt environment friendly practices. However, we are now implementing technology at an unprecedented level, with strict enforcement. If this momentum continues, in eight to 10 years, Lahore and the Punjab will have become smog-free,” Anwar says.

Ahsan Malik is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship