A serious threat to public health

Smog has started to descend for the third consecutive year on Lahore due to the convergence of lowering temperatures and high levels of air pollution. The officials concerned have not only been contradicting private groups' findings that show the air quality is much above the safe levels, but seem to have no clue as to the sources of pollution. A press report quotes the secretary of the provincial Environmental Protection Agency as claiming "we have already taken adequate steps to prevent local contributions to smog, and are ready to combat those from Indian Punjab," thereby suggesting that the real cause of air contamination is burning of rice crop stubble by farmers across the border in Indian Punjab. Experts, however, point out that during this part of the year the wind blows from the west to the east; hence there is no chance of smoke from India flowing into this country. The other cause of trouble identified by the government is smoke coming out of brick kilns, telling them those who do not install the zigzag technology to control emissions will be closed down.

The more serious issue is industrial and vehicular pollution. Many industries, especially those catering to the domestic market, flout their environmental obligations with impunity. During the last smog season, for instance, some commercial concerns were found to be burning tyres as fuel, producing toxic emissions containing carcinogens and other health hazards. Tyre burning was banned when the smog first engulfed Lahore and some other parts of Punjab. It is not known though if the ban has stayed in place. Another source of pollution all over the country has been the low quality of gasoline, especially diesel. The refineries have not upgraded their plants to international standards, frustrating the previous government's efforts to have them switch over from RON 87 (Research Octane Number) to the higher grade premium motor gasoline producing lower hazardous emissions. They remain unwilling to invest in modern technology. As a result, smog continues to return again and again to cause a wide-range of public health issues, from eye and skin irritation to respiratory and heart diseases, also adversely affecting nervous system, particularly among children.

It is about time this government recognised the issue for what it is and adopted both short- and long-term measures to prevent the recurrence of smog. The key challenge, of course, is to have the industries and the oil refineries take necessary steps. Forcible enforcement of required standards is unlikely to work, as has been the case so far. A consultative process of give-and-take may work where rules and regulations have failed. The trick seems to be to offer them some incentives in return for behaving in a responsible manner. It must not be forgotten that Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate changes. Unless pollution is controlled effectively things will further aggravate with changing weather patterns.