Daily Times

Covid-19 had not yet departed when Dengue appeared on the scene. Not a day passes when the media doesn’t report how people suffered from Dengue fever or lost their lives. Some calamities are caused by nature while others are the result of administrative indifference. Air pollution caused by smog is one such calamity.

Lahore topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world, according to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index – 600 last Wednesday. The Environmental Protection Agency, which records the Air Quality Index, rates figures of 300 and above as “very poor” and hazardous for human health. A few days ago, the AQI level in Lahore and Karachi was reported to be more than 350 and it placed Pakistan fourth in the list of the most polluted countries in Asia. The level of pollution has nearly doubled since then.

I recently travelled on the Lahore-Multan motorway that always presents lovely scenes of lush green crops and trees as far as the eye can see. This time, however, both sides of the road emitted clouds of smoke due to stubble burning. Fields at numerous places appeared charred while many neighbouring fields were under flames. The atmosphere throughout the journey remained hazy and dense with smoke billowing high in the sky.

An official of the Met department said that winds had not yet started blowing from India to our side and when they did, the state of pollution would worsen on our side. Let’s ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Are we doing any less in causing air pollution by stubble burning? Isn’t stubble burning punishable by law? Aren’t brick-kilns emitting untreated black smoke? If it’s not gross administrative negligence on the part of the government, what else is it?

By the end of 2020, all kilns that failed to implement zigzag technology were supposed to shut down. Many kilns still spew black smoke and pollute the air.

To control pollution, government representatives offer lofty ideas. For example, developing urban forests in various cities and planting a billion trees are among such ideas. How much land is available in overpopulated cities for developing forests is anybody’s guess. On the other hand, high-sounding organisations such as Smog Commission and Punjab Environment Protection Agency exist to control air pollution. In 2018, we heard of introducing zigzag technology that reduces pollution caused by brick kilns. By the end of 2020, all kilns that failed to implement zigzag technology were supposed to shut down. Many kilns still spew black smoke and pollute the air.

Now back to the basics. The government must ban stubble burning forthwith and fine the violators heavily to control the air quality level. While stubble burning is the main cause of pollution in villages, burning trash and plastics in cities is equally hazardous, as it causes coughing, wheezing and lung complications. Even the management of some of the so-called posh localities overlooks the practice of burning trash and plastics. Someone flying into Lahore recently observed the city shrouded in the cloud of smog, as it appeared from the aircraft window.

However, pollution due to fumes and un-burnt carbon particles produced by smoke-emitting vehicles, especially cargo-carrying long-body vehicles, two-stroke Chingchi rickshaws and motorcycles is visible. But the noise pollution, caused by pressure honking and the loudspeakers, taking its toll on human hearing and sensibilities is invisible. Although the use of pressure horns is banned, the traffic police ignore it. Police could not care less, even for serious accidents. Recently, three teenage brothers returning from school and college were run over by a bus and died on the spot on Gojra road. Imagine the plight of their parents. The bus driver disappeared from the scene of the accident, as usual.

To control noise pollution, how many and how powerful loudspeakers should a mosque have? During the tenure of the previous provincial government led by Shahbaz Sharif, instructions were passed against the misuse of loudspeakers. Using loudspeakers other than for the call for prayers was disallowed. Loudspeakers’ volume had to be kept low.

Noise pollution is a serious issue to which the authorities don’t pay any attention. Human ears are designed to tolerate sound within a certain decibel (dB) level. Sixty dB is the normal conversation level. Noise above eighty dB adversely affects human behaviour and makes people irritable. This level of noise is trivial by comparison with the 200 dB noise level produced by powerful loudspeakers nearby or by pressure horns. That may be the reason why most of us seem irritated and tend to lose our cool on small matters. Instead of rational discussions, we resort to throwing tantrums. Lastly, why maintain departments supposedly responsible to keep the atmosphere pollution-free and pay them huge salaries, the taxpayers have the right to ask.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity @gmail.com.