EDITORIAL: With the arrival of winter months smog levels in Lahore and swathes of southern Punjab and upper Sindh have started to rise, further compounding health hazards posed by the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, the air quality index (AQI) in Lahore climbed to the "very unhealthy" 274, increasing health risks manifold. . Pollution is high the year round, but becomes more visible in winter months when fog mixes with pollutants emitted by fuel burning. Much of it is blamed on rice stubble burning by farmers on either side of the Pak-India border to prepare the fields for the next crop. During hearings on several petitions related to environment issues a Punjab government official informed the Lahore High Court that steps are being taken, including registration of criminal cases, against the farmers involved in burning crop stubbles. Also, like in the previous year, the government has once again ordered the brick kilns which failed to install the safe zigzag technology to stay shut from November 7 to December 31, saying the duration could be increased if necessary.
That should help, but only to a limited extent, considering that as per the official figures bulk of the air pollution, some 43 percent, is caused by vehicular traffic. In fact, the day the overall AQI reading in Lahore was 274, at the US Consulate, located in an area where traffic congestion is often severe, it soared to the "hazardous" 374 mark. Little surprise then that for a while Lahore has been competing with New Delhi for the unenviable distinction of being the world's most polluted city. A substantial part of the problem, 25 percent is caused by the industries. Most of them flout their social responsibility with impunity. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is too weak and under-resourced to check the violators. However, an EPA representative told the court that industries causing air pollution and vehicles emitting excessive smoke on the roads would not be allowed to run, and that action would be taken against persons committing such offences. It remains to be seen how far this resolve is to be translated into action.
Inspiring hopes of betterment is Prime Minster Imran Khan's unflinching commitment to a cleaner environment. Last December, he announced several measures to rid Lahore of smog and combat pollution in general. These included allowing the sale of only high grade Euro-4 premium motor gasoline, and within a year to raise the standard to Euro-5. The oil refineries were given three years to upgrade their facilities. Nonetheless, there is no sign of them moving in that direction. It may be recalled that they had resisted the previous government's calls, too, to meet the required standards by modernizing their plants, but to no avail. Some incentives may spur them to do the needful. It is about time the federal government ensured strict compliance with obligations by industries. Smog will keep returning unless and until the gasoline sold to people is only of the euro-5 standard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
Comments
Comments are closed.