Lahore was once seen as the city of gardens, home to over 140 million people. It was the city of architectural wonders and culinary delights, and was often described as the cultural heart of Pakistan. Today, Lahore, the icon of our history and the capital of the Punjab is dying a slow and painful death, by suffocation. This beautiful metropolis is now facing a climatic crisis of monumental proportions and if the Powers That Be do not take immediate action, it may be too late to save his beautiful city from complete destruction.
For the past few years, the city is engulfed in heavy smog during the winter months, that makes life miserable for the residents of the city and severely damages the reputation of the second biggest city of the country. Starting from mid-October to the end of January, the city is shrouded in a thick blanket of smog that is composed of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, some dangerous chemicals and assorted pollutants. This blanket of smog is a grave danger to public health and effects the quality of life in a major way. This thick cover of smog is due mainly to vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide, industrial gases, burning of crop stubble and the uncontrolled urbanisation of major areas.
Lahore today has become one of the most polluted cities of the world, with the air quality index (AQI) breaking records every year. The AQI of the city has crossed the figure of 1,000 many times this year, when according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), anything over 300 is dangerous. According to Swiss climate monitoring group IQ AIR, Delhi is the most polluted city of the world with 585 mg of PM2.5 in the air, followed by Lahore with 240 mg of PM2.5. The city of Lahore is now facing a severe health and medical emergency. Healthcare services are now stretched to breaking point, with a rise in respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
According to a recent report, polluted air in Pakistan kills about 128,000 people yearly. For its part, the government of Pakistan is morally and legally bound to enforce very strict environmental control laws
The government of Punjab implemented emergency measures, including restrictions on vehicle use and industrial emissions. Despite these efforts, pollution levels this season have reached record highs, underlining the critical need for comprehensive, long-term solutions to address Lahore’s worsening air quality. The massive city’s suffering is an indicator of larger environmental crises facing the country – and an accompanying failure of administration. There is now an urgent and immediate need for decisive action to build a future where our cities are livable and our people can breathe clean and fresh air.
The provincial authorities have closed all public and private schools, including colleges and universities in major cities of Punjab, and have instead ordered online classes. These actions will certainly reduce exposure to toxic gases but they do not address the root causes of this dangerous crisis – which need immediate environmental reforms and new legislation.
The emission of greenhouse gases from Pakistan amounts to less than 0.9% of global greenhouse gases, and yet it faces the brunt of the effects of climate change. What is happening to Lahore is not entirely its own creation – it is a problem of the entire region. Toxic gases and air pollution from neighbouring Indian Punjab move into Lahore and contribute to the smog. Let us not forget that toxic air cannot be held back by regional or national boundaries. No matter what our relations with India are, or at whatever stage the Kashmir dispute is today, we have an urgent need to engage India in serious talks and come up with a joint plan. Smog is a common enemy of India and Pakistan and needs to be tackled jointly, keeping aside our past history of hostility and bitterness.
The biggest culprits for environmental pollution on a global scale are the developed countries, especially the superpowers of the world. Countries like Pakistan do not contribute significantly to climate change but they suffer the maximum consequences and they lack the financial and technical resources to fight this menace. Developed countries have a moral obligation to come to the rescue of the developing world and extend a helping hand to countries like Pakistan to face the deadly menace of climate change.
According to a recent report, polluted air in Pakistan kills about 128,000 people yearly. For its part, the government of Pakistan is morally and legally bound to enforce very strict environmental control laws and regulations, promote green technologies and put a total stop to activities like crop burning, emissions from brick kilns and emission of gases from factories. Our superior judiciary in the past has taken suo motu action on various issues like mineral water and building dams. For the country’s legal and judicial apparatus too, it is now time to address environmental crisis through public interest litigation.