Daily Times

The days of clear, blue skies are long gone as it is smog season in Lahore. Every Lahori has come to expect a thick milky haze rising out of the sky and engulfing it whole. There are no moments of respite for the city’s inhabitants, who keep coughing their lungs out, clinging to the hope that those in power will finally take notice. Smog has been associated with a wide variety of respiratory infections; the immunocompromised are especially susceptible to its effects. Long-term exposure to smog has also been known to cause respiratory conditions in otherwise healthy populations.

Indeed, it is not uncommon to see people wheezing and rubbing their eyes as we tread through the city’s polluted streets. Pakistan has already experienced the worst that climate change has to offer but it appears that we have a penchant for repeating the same mistakes, over and over. The state has failed to integrate preemptive public health initiatives into the city’s infrastructure which are essential for any urban settlement as large as Lahore. Unplanned and rapid urbanization have doomed Lahore to a fate filled with smog-the rise in automobiles, unchecked deforestation and unsustainable industrial growth have all contributed to its pollution problem which is largely reflected in the city’s PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) levels, currently 30.2 times the WHO’s annual air quality guidelines. Industrial activity runs unchecked in Pakistan as a whole, evidenced by the fact that only 1% of the country’s industrial establishments report their emissions.

Since Lahore is the country’s second-largest industrial hub, it is only natural that pollution has grown so endemic in the city which now stands among the likes of Delhi as the most polluted megacity in the world. Despite being acutely aware of the damage smog can incur, the state continues to neglect Lahore’s pollution problem; it is imperative that the government intervene to prevent even worse outcomes for public health. Allocating more funds to monitor and reduce emissions by industrial powerhouses would certainly be a welcome first step, but it cannot stop there-the city must commit fully to a shift towards renewable resources if it stands a chance at containing its pollution nightmare. We must take inspiration from climate-resilient urban planning schemes elsewhere in the world, such as in Seoul, which has announced $1.4 billion in funding for renewable energy projects. Now is the time to be creative and think large-without this, Lahore will never see a clear sky again. *