A thick cloud of smog envelops Lahore every winter like clockwork. This is not the first time pollution has wreaked havoc on the city, but it may be the worst. The PM2.5 concentration in Lahore’s air is currently 38.6 times the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines. Prolonged exposure to polluted air can have devastating effects and has been known to increase a myriad of respiratory infections such as bronchitis and asthma. In 2019, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution estimated that 128,000 Pakistanis die as a result of pollution-related afflictions annually. Pakistan’s continued denial of its climate change problem doesn’t help the issue either. In 2019, Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change claimed that those concerned about Lahore’s air quality were overstating the issue and that in fact, stubble-burning farmers in India were to blame for the issue. The state has a penchant for getting unnecessarily defensive each time its climate change record is criticized. This is not a political issue but one that stems from unbridled industrial pollution and hazardous practices such as the unsafe disposal of waste materials and fossil-fuel-powered power plants. It seems that the local government is finally responding appropriately and has initiated a crackdown against hazardous industrial and vehicular emissions; around 55 industrial units were sealed due to climate-contaminating practices. The government has also imposed a Rs 200,000 fine on these units for their inability to adhere to safe environmental practices which seems like an insignificant amount when we consider the sheer scale of the damage they have caused. During the pollution checking drive, law enforcement inspected hundreds of vehicles and handed out 183 fines for smoke emissions. While these measures are a step in the right direction, Lahore is treading on very thin ice right now and it is essential that the government develop a more comprehensive strategy for dealing with the city’s climate change issue. Locking down the city each time air quality approaches unhealthy levels isn’t a long-term solution since it will likely get just as bad once people resume normal activities. In the past, the state has downplayed the problem and suffered because of it; the government must remain firm in its resolve to penalize those who engage in environmentally irresponsible practices. Until then, the best thing any of us can do is lock our doors and stay inside because the air outside could very well kill us. *