The resurgence of smog was seen in Lahore in the second half of October, with levels of carbon monoxide reaching 6.94 milligram per metre around Gaddafi Stadium, where the match was held. The levels were 17.52 mpm in the suburban area of Mohlanwal near Multan Road and 21.29 mpm on Mall Road. The permissible level is 5 milligram per metre.
On October 30, Zubair Tahir, a student of Punjab College was coming back from his classes to his home on Davis Road on his motorcycle. Throughout the 20-minute ride, he had a scarf covering his entire face, barring the eyes.
“It’s like a helmet protecting me from different kinds of accidents,” he said, adding that he felt the smog levels this year had been higher than last year’s. Zubair’s smog-protection scarf was matched by many travelers around Mall Road, which seemed to have the worst smog levels in Lahore, especially for motorcyclists.
Maria Shahid, a magazine editor, wears an anti-pollution mask given to her by her sister, a doctor, during her commute from her residence in Bahria Town to the office in Gulberg, even though she uses a car. “I am feeling it in my throat this year. It’s no longer a case of lack of visibility or irritation in eyes. I feel something poisonous on the inside,” she says. “I believe the government should declare an emergency or something.”
"We're still cutting vegetation, we're still chopping trees, we're still adding lanes - I mean developed countries have learned by now that adding lanes do not solve your traffic problem"
The government has implemented Section 144 in the province till December 16, banning burning of leftover crops, which is a significant contributor to smog.
Officials of the Environment Protection Agency, solid waste management companies, department of industries and district administration have been told to implement measures to curb air pollution, following which 150 factories have been shut down.
Lahore’s average rank on the Air Quality Index is 155 – 150-200 is the red zone, deemed unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. On October 30, it was 202 in the ‘very unhealthy’ purple zone.
Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, the international climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank, says the extended dry spell has ensured that the atmosphere is stable, which is suitable for smog.
“The increased pollution levels are causing smog. They are originating locally and in Indian Punjab as well, where coal-based power plants are in abundance. They are generating extreme levels of pollution, with the wind patterns causing the mixing and transfer of the smog.”
Dr Qamar-ur-Zaman underscores denial of climate change and negligence towards pollution as the causes that are making the atmosphere ripe for smog. “Climate change is causing these extended dry spells which facilitate the creation and spread of smog. We obviously need to keep our pollution levels in check,” he says.
Tauqeer Ahmed Qureshi, the director of the government’s Environment Protection Agency, cites atmospheric inversion this time of the year, high traffic volumes and fugitive dust from construction agencies as contributing factors to the creation of smog. However, he says the root cause lies across the Indian border.
“In the last 10 days of October, rice stubble is burned after harvesting for cleaning. Last year, about 32,000 million tonnes of the stubble was burned. They leave the fields burning for days. Plus, what happens this time of the year is that the wind direction heads westwards, hence bringing all that pollution to Pakistan.
However, Qureshi believes that the smog levels are lower as compared to those of previous years. “Last year the smell was very pungent and there was severe irritation of eyes and more visible smog. There was a panic last year.”
The EPA has procured six instruments to measure the intensity of the smog, and they have been placed around Lahore, at the University of Engineering and Technology, the Met Office, the Engineering Academy, the Environment Protection Department, and two of them are mobile.
“I can’t give you the exact figures, but we are monitoring the levels regularly, so that we can issue a public advisory or order school closures if needed,” says Qureshi. “As things stand, it’s not necessary.”
Pakistan Meteorological Department Director General Dr Ghulam Rasool said that the EPA hasn’t provided the Met department any data either. “This is why we haven’t been able to predict the smog. It is the EPA’s duty to provide the data regarding air quality,” he says.
Hammad Naqi Khan, the director-general of WWF Pakistan, says nobody is monitoring the air quality regularly. “There is serious capacity gap and priority issues. There is non-enforcement of environmental quality standards, whether they’re related to the industry or emissions from vehicles. Smoke-emitting vehicles like Qingqis or the old vans of trucks are still running – the same is the case with furnaces. We need to facilitate the farmers with equipment and technical knowledge.”
The construction work, whether it’s the Orange Line or the roads or plazas, certainly doesn’t help. If you don’t follow certain standard operating procedures to ensure the dust is not generated or controlled, this is what happens. “We’re still cutting vegetation, we’re still chopping trees, we’re still adding lanes – I mean developed countries have learned by now that adding lanes do not solve your traffic problem,” he said.
Hammad Naqi Khan also takes exception to the claims that the pollution is coming from India. “To say that wouldn’t be appropriate – unless there is concrete scientific evidence. There is stubble burned around Lahore, and the wind speed is always low in winters.”
Dr Ghulam Rasool adds that winds need to be calm for the formation of smog. “Our instruments aren’t showing any movement. As a meteorologist I will say that transboundary pollution cannot enter Pakistan if there’s no wind,” he says. “The smog dominates cities because the actual causes are industrial and vehicle pollution.”
Tauqeer Qureshi disagrees, saying that the Indian-origin pollution that is impacting Pakistan is already on the SAARC agenda. “We absolutely need a regional agreement, and we’re working on it.” Hammad Khan says the current smog levels in Lahore and Central Punjab are just a warning. “The smog used to surface in December – now we see it in October.
“In India the green court gave the decision to ban fireworks on Diwali, banned burning of agricultural residue, banned the entry of smoke-emitting vehicles, banned construction around Diwali – why can’t we do the same?” Dr Rasool also adds that New Delhi also introduced the odd-even vehicle formula to limit traffic pollution.
“Our air quality index is better than New Delhi’s, that’s all you need to know,” says Tauqeer Qureshi.