Combatting Smog

By Bilal Mustikhan | December 2020

The lockdowns imposed to contain coronavirus did not only reduce the spread of COVID but also reduced CO2 gas emissions. The pandemic proved to be deadly for human beings but beneficial for the environment as the air quality around the globe improved for a short time. This improvement did not last long. When the pandemic was contained to some extent, countries around the world gradually lifted their lockdowns and everything returned to normal. The only difference was that certain SOPs were put in place.

Now, the second wave of the coronavirus has arrived as 2020 comes to an end. The devastating impact of the disease, however, will increase during the winters as toxic smog engulfs many parts of India and Pakistan. Every winter, the northern parts of South Asia witness alarming pollution. These levels seem to be spiraling up every year due to the increase in population and greater economic activity in the region.

Winters in Pakistan are accompanied by high levels of pollution as a large number of pollutants are concentrated in the lower atmosphere due to the dry and cold weather conditions. This pollution is accompanied by dense smog which causes schools to shut down, commuting on the motorway becomes impossible and many flights need to be postponed or cancelled. Last year, schools in Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad were shut down as the smog choked entire cities. The smog has also been referred to as a fifth season.

People avoid stepping out during the winters. Those who need to go out for work wear a mask which has become a part of everyday attire due to the pandemic. Air pollution does not only make it difficult to carry out daily tasks but also leads to several different respiratory diseases such as asthma and sinusitis, damages lung tissue, causes eye irritation and heart problems. The damage does not stop there. The air pollutants also cause diabetes, increase blood pressure and affect one’s mental health. To keep it short, the pollutants drastically reduce every individual’s lifespan.

There is no single source of this dense smog which affects both Lahore and New Delhi. A number of factors combine that lead to the air pollution. According to the Green Peace Report, Lahore and New Delhi are the top ten most polluted cities in the world. Pakistan is now recognized as the second most polluted country in the world by the World Air Quality Report. The city of Lahore has an Air Quality Index above 150. An AQI level up to 50 is healthy, AQI between 100-150 is harmful for children and people with diseases, and an AQI level above 150 is damaging for everyone.

The different sources of air pollution mainly consist of vehicle and industrial emissions in both India and Pakistan. Punjab is home to a number of industries such as the brick kilns and furnace industry which generate heavy emissions. There seems to be no check in place to prevent vehicles and industries from spewing out harmful gases.

Farming also contributes to the worsening air quality in the region. The area around New Delhi is known as the grain bowl of India where rice and wheat are cultivated on a large scale. Every year Indian farmers burn their old rice stubble during the winters to make way for wheat sowing. The rice stubble makes it difficult to sow wheat seeds. Previously, rice residues were used as fodder for animals. Now that the winter season has shortened due to climate change, only a short window is available to sow wheat seeds. This combines with the high cost of technology to clear the stubble and leaves farmers with no other alternative but to clear the stubble by burning it.

Indian farmers continue this practice as they have no alternative to prepare their fields for wheat cultivation. The Indian government banned the burning of crops in winters but has failed to implement the ban. The burning of stubble creates a thick cloud of smoke which covers the entire region in India and is blown towards Pakistan. The issue further increases tensions in a volatile region.

Air pollution in the region must be jointly addressed by both countries as their citizens continue to bear the brunt. Transnational collaboration is required to improve the air quality in the region. The first step is to jointly develop long-term policies which control air pollution by focusing on industries, transport systems, power plants and stubble burning.

The second step would be to list down districts where air quality is extremely poor and design laws which prevent vehicles from entering that area on particular days of the week. These areas could also be labelled as vehicle-free zones to reduce air pollution. A functioning transport system would also decrease fuel emissions by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. The third step would be to regulate industries and to penalize them for exceeding a certain level of emission.

The most crucial step would be to provide machinery and subsidies to Indian farmers to prevent them from burning rice stubbles which would greatly reduce pollution levels in both India and Pakistan.

A comprehensive agreement between India and Pakistan to protect the environment would benefit the region and lead to enhanced food security and economic stability and reduce diseases caused by pollution.

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Combatting Smog

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