After record levels of air pollution were recorded in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, the provincial government has decided to treat smog as a “year-round plague”.
This is a change from the government’s current position, which treats smog as a seasonal issue, according to Dawn.
Smog is a mix of smoke and fog that’s often associated with winter, industrial pollution, and farm fires. According to the National Geographic Encyclopedia, most smog is “photochemical smog,” which is created when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC) in the atmosphere.
The encyclopedia further explains that nitrogen oxides come from car exhaust, coal-fired power plants, and industrial emissions, while VOCs are released from the burning of fossil fuels, paints, and many cleaning solvents. When these two types of substances mix and react with sunlight, smog forms.
The decision was taken after Pakistan was ranked the second most polluted country in the world and Lahore the fourth most polluted city, the newspaper said.
How does Pakistan’s Punjab province plan to combat smog?
According to Dawn, Pakistan’s Punjab provincial government has drawn up a plan to combat smog that includes government intervention, stricter enforcement of existing policies, and public and industry awareness campaigns.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said smog needed to be prevented in the first place and not just managed, the paper quoted her as saying.
The task of implementing this plan has been given to the Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD).
Mariyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in Maryam’s administration, told the paper that the new strategy would enable all government departments to work together in both the short and long term.
“The gravity of the situation calls for immediate, multi-pronged response. The Environment Protection Department has worked out viable solutions within 100 days of the Punjab government’s inauguration and initiated preventive measures between July and September 2024,” Aurangzeb said.
The strategy, it said, would include random crackdowns on brick kiln owners who have not implemented zigzag technology, vehicle emission tests, industrial emission tests and inspections of people who burn garbage, rubber and agricultural waste.
The paper also reported that the government will encourage carpooling and the use of public transport to get to work.
The government will also tackle the issue of industrial pollutants by rolling out a multi-sectoral approach involving the transport, agriculture, energy, education, industry, local government and health sectors, the paper said.
EPCCD Director General Raja Jahangir Anwar also touched on the issue of pollution flowing into Pakistan from India.
“While cross-border contribution of smog is a reality that requires joint action, compliance with environmental standards at the local level is our responsibility. Authorities have studied international practices, particularly China and India. We have concluded that city-specific interventions focused on greening, promoting clean energy and curbing industrial emissions are needed,” Anwar told Dawn.
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