Punjab on high alert! No access to parks, zoos, playgrounds, and historic sites till November 17

In a step taken to further limit public exposure to toxic air, Pakistan’s government increased measures in Punjab as Lahore battles some of the worst air quality in the world. Punjab banned public access to parks, zoos, playgrounds and historic sites on Friday until November 17. In advance, schools had been shut down, and universities may well be closed next week to reduce vehicular emission.

Ironically, Lahore has become the world’s most polluted city, reports Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, ranking it atop the list. Jahangir Anwar, Secretary Punjab’s Environment Protection Department, refuted these claims and claimed that the government was taking serious measures in this regard. Office work is to be shifted to online or remote setups and there will be a halt on the plying of rickshaws on congested roads.

Smog crisis is a yearly ritual in South Asia, characterized by a plume of dust, vehicle emissions, and stubble burning from agricultural fields. Punjab officials have blamed much of this year’s smog on cross-border pollution from India, where air quality has also reached hazardous levels.

To tackle the crisis, the state government of Punjab has established a “smog war room” armed with satellite and drone technology as well as artificial intelligence tools to monitor and combat pollution. However, Anwar said that the province was without adequate equipment for monitoring air quality infrastructures, and there was only four fixed monitoring units in Lahore. “We need at least 50 to cover the city effectively,” he said. To fill the gap, the state has recently deployed five mobile monitoring units and has plans to add eight more by year-end.

Environmentalists say such efforts only mark the beginning. “Without improvements in fuel quality, and policies that drive renewable energy and decrease industrial emissions, we’re only scratching the surface,” warned environmental lawyer and member of Pakistan’s Climate Change Council Ahmad Rafay Alam.

The problem of smog in Lahore highlights a budding public health concern that needs an urgent and sustained response.