It’s time to buckle up and brace ourselves for a ride down the smoke-filled, hazy future. As per every year, the smallest drop in mercury has unleashed vicious, raging pollutants in the air, especially in Lahore; carving the once-celebrated city of gardens as the most polluted city in the world with the most hazardous breathing air on Sunday. Considering how winter hasn’t yet decided to officially make its way in, there’s no stopping the lethal pasty white hue from spreading all over the sky and raising serious health concerns. According to the Air Quality Project, the situation becomes unbearable, the minute index touches three figures. Therefore, any minor, elderly or those with compromised immunity are routinely advised to steer clear of such surroundings in a bid to limit their exposure. Just a cursory comparison of the international standards with a phenomenal score of 510. The full impacts may not be visible to the naked eye but every single breath of this toxic air (even when you sleep) introduces unimaginably dangerous pollutants to the bloodstream, from where they can play havoc with the respiratory and nervous system. These toxins are said to kill at least 130,000 children under the age of five across South Asia every single year. More worryingly, the tendency to assume pollution to be the new normal grows manifoldly with every season. While Lahoris laugh the fumes off as an unwanted addition to their seasonal calendar and governmental bodies believe they have ample time to sit on the fence, smog appears particularly charged. The intense cloud is fast gripping other districts situated along the GT Road and motorway. Between unrelenting brick kilns, smirking substandard vehicular engines plying on the highways and industrial pollution, there is a lot that remains unchecked despite greatly-talked-about incentives taken by the provincial government. The choking siege should not be allowed to win one more round but not much can happen with mere talks. We need concrete measures against all those determined to paint a smoke-filled vista. Like it or not, everyone has to breathe. *