A man crosses a street engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 16, 2024. Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab on on November 15 extended school closures in smog-hit major cities by a week, with thousands hospitalised as the country battles record air pollution.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Pakistan’s Punjab government on Friday (November 16, 2024) declared smog a “health crisis” and used artificial rain in several cities across the province in an effort to combat its hazardous levels, as millions reported breathing problems and other respiratory issues over the past month.

This is the second time the Punjab government went for artificial rain. In December last year, the government had a successful cloud seeding experiment in Lahore.

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“The cloud seeding experiment conducted in Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, and Gujar Khan cities of Punjab resulted in rainfall in Jhelum and Gujar Khan on Friday,” the Punjab government said in a late night statement.

It said it held a successful trial of artificial rain using local technology. “Cloud seeding was carried out at 2pm Friday and within hours, it rained in Jhelum and Gujar Khan. There is also a strong likelihood of rainfall in Lahore after this experiment. The artificial rainfall will significantly help reduce smog,” it said.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference here, senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the Punjab government has imposed a “health emergency” in Lahore and Multan districts to combat dense smog blanketing the province of about 130 million population for the last few weeks.

According to the provincial health department, around two million cases of respiratory disease, besides complaints of asthma, chest infections, conjunctivitis and heart issues, have been reported in hospitals during the last month.

Dense smog caused by toxic pollutants has engulfed several cities in Punjab with Lahore and Multan being the worst hit.

The AQI (air quality index) reading in Multan has already crossed 2,000 twice, setting a new record for air pollution.

Aurangzeb said the hospital data did not give the complete picture of the adverse health impacts caused by smog as it only included reported cases.

“Many people suffering from respiratory problems don’t visit hospitals to seek doctors’ advice and instead self-medicate at home or visit informal dispensaries,” she said.

“At the moment, the smog crisis has turned into a health crisis. Various factors contributing to smog include transport, agriculture, energy, our habits, behaviour, and actions towards nature,” she said, adding that the Punjab government had made a 10-year smog mitigation plan to address the issue.

According to the government, the artificial rain project was a collaborative effort involving Pakistan’s scientific research and development experts (SPD), Army Aviation, PARCO and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Punjab government, culminating in the successful artificial rain.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated all the institutions and scientific experts involved in the achievement.

“Today, dedication, hard work, and expertise have written a new chapter in the history of Punjab. The entire nation is proud of the team,” she said.

Lahore and some other cities of Punjab are facing the worst pollution for the last few weeks.

The Punjab government has taken various measures, including shutting schools, cracking down on vehicles emitting excessive smoke, and prohibiting barbecues and visits to recreational places, to combat smog.

These measures have, however, proven insufficient to address the crisis.

Students wear mask to protect themselves from poor air quality due to increasing smog in the city as they arrive at their school, in Lahore, Pakistan
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan on Monday (November 4, 2024) blamed winds from India for worsening smog here, urging the Indian authorities to take up the matter seriously, after the air quality index in the capital city of Pakistan’s Punjab province hit a record high over the weekend.

Toxic grey smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mainly children and elderly people, since last month when the air quality started worsening in Lahore, the city bordering India.

The concentration of PM 2.5, or tiny particulate matter, in the air, approached 450, considered hazardous, 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.

“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,” she said, adding that China has been battling smog for the past 26 years.

Earlier, Punjab senior minister Marriyum 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.

Meanwhile, 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.