Lahore's Dangerous Smog: Where Disease and Death Stalk

Smog in Faisalabad. This is Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in Faisalabad, a city about 120 km from Lahore and the third most populous city after Karachi and Lahore. by Zofeen Ebrahim (karachi, pakistan)Tuesday, November 12, 2024Inter Press Service

KARACHI, Pakistan, Nov 12 (IPS) - "It's been horrible; I've been sick on and off for the last 10 days," said 29-year-old asthmatic Natasha Sohail, who teaches A-Level students at three private schools in Lahore. Last week, her condition worsened with a vertigo attack and fever.

Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city and capital of Punjab province, with a population of nearly 14 million, remains shrouded in a thick grey haze, which Sohail describes as smelling of "burning wood."

It also has the distinction of being the world leader in the poor air quality index (AQI), with some neighborhoods touching over 1200 on the air quality index. The AQI measures the level of fine particles (PM2.5), larger particles (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in the air. An AQI of 151 to 200 is classified as "unhealthy," 201 to 300 as "very unhealthy," and more than 300 as "hazardous."

For the past eight years, Sohail has relied on anti-wheezing drugs and inhalers. At home, there are four air purifiers to help her breathe cleaner air.

She's not alone.

These two photos were taken at the same place; the clear blue sky was taken in September 2023 and the sepia skies in November 2024. Courtesy: Zaeema Naeem

"The hospitals are crowded with tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory and heart diseases being treated at hospitals and clinics over the last two weeks," said Dr Ashraf Nizami, president of the Pakistan Medical Association's Lahore chapter. "The psychological toll the poor air is taking on people remains under the radar," he added.

Punjab's senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, revealing the government's anti-smog action plan, informed journalists that Lahore endured 275 days of unhealthy Air Quality Index (AQI) levels over the past year, with temperatures rising by 2.3 degrees.

After Lahore's AQI exceeded 1,000 last week, authorities closed all primary and secondary schools. Punjab's Secretary for Environment, Raja Jahangir Anwar, warned the closure could continue if air quality doesn't improve. "Young children are vulnerable, and we want to avoid an emergency," he said, adding that online learning, as during the COVID pandemic, can be adopted again.

Source: Analysis by CREA. Data source for Lahore AQI is Airnow Source: Analysis by CREA. Data source for Lahore AQI is Airnow Source: Analysis by CREA. Data source for Lahore AQI is Airnow

Living in a world of air purifiers

Aliya Khan, 37, a mother of two boys—aged five and one, with the older one suffering from asthma—had installed four imported air purifiers in her home four years ago, each costing Rs 31,000 (about USD 370). They bought a fifth this year at Rs 60,000 (about USD 710). "It cost us a fortune, but that's not all; the filters must be replaced every year, which costs Rs 10,000 per machine," she said.

The private school her five-year-old attends lacks air purifiers in classrooms, leaving parents with no choice but to pool together and buy one for their child's classroom.

Khan, a development consultant, says air purifiers work best if the home is packed tightly to keep the air from outside entering. "Our windows and doors are poorly insulated, where we live with elderly parents and two hyperactive kids and home staff that keep coming in and going out—the air purifiers struggle to maintain their effectiveness."

Smog Brings Business for Some

Business picks up for 37-year-old Hassan Zaidi as soon as Lahore is covered in smog. He's currently fulfilling an order for "hundreds of air purifiers" for a foreign school in Lahore.

A computer engineer with a passion for product design, Zaidi started building air purifiers in 2019 for his family after his baby daughter developed a cough. He purchased an imported air purifier, took it apart, and quickly realized that with the right materials, it was no "rocket science" to build one himself.

He claimed, "Mine work better, look better, and cost just Rs 25,000 (USD 296)." These air purifiers restart automatically after power outages, are nearly silent, and are easy to repair. The filter costs Rs 2,400 (USD 28) and needs replacing each season. Each unit is good for a 500 sq ft room if fully sealed.

Authorities Take action

Stubble burning in India and Pakistan. The blue line is the border between the two countries. Pakistan (left) and India (on the right).

Anwar said the government has introduced several measures to reduce emissions and improve air quality, adopting a "whole-of-government" approach with all departments working together for the first time.

Authorities have already banned barbecuing food without filters and use of motorized rickshaws.

The government distributed 1,000 subsidized super-seeders to farmers as an alternative to burning rice stubble and took legal action against over 400 farmers who violated the burning ban. "This carrot and stick approach will be very effective," endorsed Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, the executive director of the Islamabad-based think tank, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Anwar said superseeders will convert residue into mulch, improving production and speeding sowing. Penalizing a few farmers will deter others from breaking the law.

Another measure involved demolishing over 600 of the 11,000 smoke-emitting brick kilns that hadn't switched to zigzag technology, including 200 in and around Lahore.

Terming brick kilns the "low hanging fruit," Dr Parvez Hassan, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and president of the Pakistan Environmental Law Association, who, in 2003 and again in 2018, was appointed the chairperson of the Lahore Clean Air Commission and the Smog Commission by the Lahore High Court to come up with the smog policy, did not approve the "arbitrary decision of dismantling" of the kilns. In his view, supporting the kiln owners with "available concessional financing for conversion to zig-zag technology" would be a more effective way.

He further added that it was well known that the transport (oil), cement and textile sectors were the bigger polluters, but they were very influential. "Power in Pakistan has always meant being above the law," he said and that the "general lack of political will and effective capability to monitor compliance" also act as roadblocks. "No country in the world has succeeded in good environmental policies unless it has first built a capacity to implement! The journey must begin with capacity building!"

However, Anwar said action has been taken with visits to 15,000 industrial units, sealing 64 mills and demolishing 152 factories.

Anwar stated that 43 percent of air pollution in the province is caused by unfit vehicles, with transporters equally responsible. He shared that Lahore has 1.3 million cars and 4.5 million two-wheelers, with 1,800 motorcycles added daily. He also mentioned that the traffic police have been ordered to impound vehicles without fitness certificates. Last month, a fine of Rs 16.09 million was imposed on over 24,000 substandard vehicles across the province.

"Getting a vehicle fitness certificate in Pakistan is as easy as a blind person getting a license to drive!" said a petroleum expert who requested anonymity. "We need to clean the fuel, scrap old vehicles, and make vehicle emissions testing mandatory," he added.

Imran Khalid, a climate governance expert, emphasized that improving fuel quality alone isn't enough; vehicles and engines also need upgrades to fully benefit from better fuel. He noted that while Euro 5 fuel is available in Pakistan, it's not widely accessible, and Euro 6 is the standard in India. He added, "I haven't seen any survey on how many cars in Pakistan have Euro 5 compliant engines."

The petroleum expert urged the government to approve the refinery upgrade policy, which has been delayed for two years, adding that upgrades will take up to five years.

Despite various actions, people in Lahore remain unconvinced, calling them too little, too late.

"The measures announced by the government should have been operationalized at least six months before the smog season and the 24/7 enforcement of these priorities should be rigorously monitored by a dedicated team with support of the public through awareness campaigns," pointed out advocate Hassan.

Nizami called for year-round efforts against air pollution, questioning why no one is held accountable for cutting millions of trees for unplanned housing while the focus remains on controlling stubble burning.

Anwar defended the smog plan, stating it's been in progress since April and required public cooperation, including staying indoors and wearing masks. Punjab's senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, warned that failure to wear masks could lead to a complete city lockdown.

"I don't see the plan working as the air quality is getting from bad to worse," said Sohail.

Nizami criticized the government for making a lot of noise but taking little action. "It's shameful how they've shifted health responsibilities to the private sector," he said.

Sohail suggested cloud seeding for artificial rain, noting its positive impact last year. Nizami also supported using artificial rain to clear the haze.

Anwar explained that cloud seeding required the right clouds and humidity. He added that the meteorological office predicts favorable weather for it between November 11 and 13.

Climate diplomacy

While 70 percent of smog in Lahore is locally generated, nearly 30 percent comes from India. Manoj Kumar, a scientist with the Finnish Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, noted that the Indo-Gangetic Plain formed an "interconnected air shed," affecting air quality, but local sources played a major role in Lahore's pollution levels.

The chief minister is keen to start talks with her Indian counterpart. "Maryam Nawaz will soon send a letter to the Chief Minister of Indian Punjab, expressing her willingness to visit India and invite him to Pakistan," said Anwar.

Kumar praised the Punjab chief minister's initiative, emphasizing that long-term, coordinated efforts between both countries could lead to improved air quality through a unified approach. But the efforts should not stop at the Punjab regions alone, as the air shed is shared and goes beyond India.

Anwar said Pakistan is considering hosting a "regional climate conference in Lahore soon."

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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service