Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Pakistan on Monday blamed the “winds from India” for the worsening air pollution in Lahore and urged the Indian authorities to take up the problem more seriously after the air quality index in the capital city of its Punjab province hit a record high over the weekend.
The Air Quality Index in Pakistan’s Lahore stood at 1,900 on Sunday, its highest ever, prompting the country to write a letter to the Indian government to open a dialogue on the issue. The Toxic grey smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mainly children and elderly people, since last month when the air quality started deteriorating in Lahore, the city bordering India.
The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 610 — more than 40 times the limit of 15 in a 24-hour period considered healthy by the World Health Organisation, the Punjab Environment Protection Department said. “The wind direction brings air from India into Pakistan, yet India does not seem to be taking this problem as seriously as it should,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told the media. She urged the Indian side of Punjab state to take this matter seriously.
Even as the AQI in the city of 14 million people stood at least six times more than the limit defined by the World Health Organisation, the government imposed emergency measures like closing schools and issuing work-from-home mandates. Citizens have been urged to stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut, and avoid unnecessary travel, while smog counters have been set up at hospitals, Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb said. The government has also imposed a ban on three-wheelers known as rickshaws and halted construction in certain areas to reduce the pollution levels.
Pakistan said the situation has arisen due to winds carrying pollution from neighbouring India. Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Raja Jahangir Anwar said. “We need climate diplomacy, as a regional and global issue.” “We are suffering in Lahore in a way due to the eastern wind corridor coming from India. We are not blaming anyone, it’s a natural phenomenon,” he said.
Like in northern India, pollution spikes during the winters in Pakistan, leading to health complications among residents, including breathing difficulties, coughing and burning eyes. Smog is particularly pronounced in winter, when cold, denser air traps emissions from poor-quality fuels used to power the city’s vehicles and factories at ground level.
The AQI in Delhi stood at 276 on Monday. AQI as high as 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI rating between 201 to 300 is more harmful and AQI over 300 has been extremely hazardous. Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the WHO shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.
According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are associated with air pollution.
“Delhi ranks first in smog levels today, with Lahore following closely in second place. Delhi’s air quality index is around 393, while Lahore’s is close to 280,” Ms Bokhari said, adding that China has been battling smog for the past 26 years.
Earlier, Punjab senior minister Ms Aurangzeb said the province was going to request the Pakistan Foreign Office to take up the issue of cross-border pollution with India. “The easterly winds from Amritsar and Chandigarh are spiking the air quality index in Lahore to over 1,000 for the past two days,” she said. “The wind from India towards Lahore taking the smog to dangerous levels and the wind is likely to sustain its direction for at least next week. The people should take care of themselves by avoiding unnecessarily coming out of their houses. The elderly and children should be particularly careful,” Ms Aurangzeb said.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also called for climate diplomacy with India and said she would soon write to the chief minister of the Indian side of Punjab to jointly address the issue of smog.
The Punjab government has closed primary schools in Lahore for a week in the wake of rising smog. The government has already closed schools for specially-abled children for three months. Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to 19th centuries. However, rapid urbanisation and surging population growth have left little room for greenery.