Why there is no quick action from the government for deadly smog in punjab?

The global countries and the international environmental organisations’ attention are grabbed by the serious crisis going on currently in Pakistan. Based on the reports given by the United Nations, 1.8 million people are in need of medical treatment in the eastern Province of Pakistan whereas, 11 million children are dealing with the terrible health crisis.

Understanding The Smog Crisis

When the Sunlight and the emissions from the human activities undergoes a chemical reaction then occurs the element called smog. The human activities which includes emissions from the industries, pollution from the vegicles’s CO2, and majorly burning the crop’s remnant. It gets more intense and worse during the winter season. The Swiss air monitoring group has unveiled the Air Quality Index (AQI) states that Lahore has become the most polluted city of Pakistan with 1,400 reading, in some other places it is estimated as 1,900.

Government’s Response

The government of Pakistan took responsibility to solve the smog and the air pollution in their major cities by lauching the 200 mobile clinics, masks are made mandatory, schools and educational institutions are shut down, banned outdoor events and brick kilns. The people and the environmentalists of Pakistan are rising questions against the slow action for this national crisis. 

Political Will and Accountability

The World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature Pakistan sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to declare as “National Emergency”.

“Our children’s future is suffocating. They are asking for a right to breathe, learn and play. What will it take for us to act?” posted WWF on X

One of the residents from the Lahore has shared their inadequate plight to Al Jazeera, “It is incredibly difficult, especially for families with children. Schools have been shut now for weeks, and what was traditionally one of the better seasons in Lahore has become the worst time to live in the city”.

But the secretary of Punjab’s Environment and Climate Change, Raja Jahangir Anwar, has told that the government took issue more serious and planned to implement a complete lockdown similar to Covid-19. 

“We have to take stringent measures given the emergency we are facing, even though we understand the economic costs.” 

Pakistan Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangazeb has declared that the major concern smog has turned a “health crisis” worseneing Lahore and Multan in high-rate.

Economic Considerations

Such situations causes prominent impact on the economy of a country. Since, the whole country is disturbed by this crisis called “smog” it forced the government to shut down working places, educational institutions and industries. A huge blow for the economy lead to several actions like, cancelation & delay of flights from the cities, affected the daily wagers, and barged in the routine of common people. Punjab is highly dependant on the agriculture, it is the root cause for the air pollution by burning the residue. It is reported that the city encountered Rs.153 billion losses to the economy.

Public Health Impacts

The statistics regarding the cases registered after the air crisis,

• 20 lakhs people under medical treatement 
• Lahore – 1,26,230
• The october reports, 19,34,030 (Total), 

5000 – suffered from strokes

• AQI – 2591 (Lahore)

2188 (Syed Maratib Ali Road)

2155 (Pakistan Engineering Services)

1704 (Ghazi road interchange)  

• 15,000 – respiratory, viral infection cases

Public Awareness and Advocacy

Both the Punjab government and the NGOs are working tirelessly together by educating the people using campaigns. “Mera Punjab Smog-Free Internship” is one of the active programs followed to involve youths largely to promote the awareness about environmental crisis and to encounter it. They have also launched applications including Green Punjab and Eco Watch, to monitor and report the status of the environment immediately. However, many citizens complain the inability, and slow action of the government at the smog affected area.

Alternative Solutions

• Punjab government’s “Smog Mitigation Model 2.0” was implemented due to the rising emergency over the smog crisis.
• Thousands of trees were planted by Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC), World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited (HACPL) launched electric cars
• Rs.5 billion allocated by Punjab Government for “Smog-Less Punjab”

Rs.1.5 billion allocated for Green Infrastructure Development by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA)

Rs.50 million for Air Quality Monitoring

Rs.20 million for Community-based smog Mitigation initiatives

Rs.15 million for Sustainable Transportation Initiatives.

Call to Action

• Limited outdoor activities
• Daily updates and precautionary measures by health department
• Illegal Crop burning are considered violations of law
• EPCCD (Environmental Protection and Climate Change Department) instructed the industries to implement install pollution control mechanisms.
• School-based programs, campaigns regarding the environmental crisis.

Future Outlook

Though the government has implemented many schemes, policies for a better environment the impact of these measures seems lesser by the citizens because the smog crisis is getting worser every year. Considering both the livelihood and the economy of the country the government needs a speedy action in the forthcoming days.