Pakistan

Smog diplomacy: Punjab to request Islamabad for talks with India

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Digital Desk

2 years ago

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Punjab has decided to approach New Delhi over the smog situation as the hazardous air quality persists in Lahore, with an air quality index (AQI) of 382 recorded on Monday morning.

Indian capital New Delhi was on top of the global pollution charts today with an AQI of 393 in the morning. Fifteen monitoring stations of the city recorded air quality levels in the ‘severe’ zone, having AQI readings over 400.

Senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, during a press conference on Sunday, announced a plan to request the Foreign Office to take up the issue with India. She attributed the deteriorating air quality to winds carrying pollution from the neighboring country.

“Easterly winds from Amritsar and Chandigarh were spiking the air quality index in Lahore to over 1,000 for the past two days. The winds would enter Lahore for at least one week,” she added.

Delhi and Lahore top the chart of most polluted cities ranking — IQAir

In response to a question, she said “Punjab would write to the Foreign Office on Monday (today) to approach Indian authorities for talks on joint efforts to curb smog.”

As the smog exceeds the World Health Organisation (WHO) deemed safe level, the provincial govt on Sunday announced the closure of primary schools in Lahore this week to save children, who are vulnerable to the effects of hazardous air quality.

According to the nonfiction issued by the Punjab School Education Department, “In the wake of deteriorating air quality index, it is notified that all classes up to 5th grade in all schools (public and private) located in Lahore shall remain closed for one week w.e.f 04.11.2024 till 09.11.2024 (Saturday).”

Aurangzeb further announced that the govt has planned to use the week-long break to conduct research. “Authorities will use the week to conduct research, mapping, and studies to reassess and determine if extended school closures are needed,” she maintained.

According to AFP, Lahore, a city of 14 million people has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning, and winter cooling.

The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, exceeded 1,000 on Saturday — well above the level of 300 considered “dangerous” — according to data from IQAir.

Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the WHO shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.

According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution, and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are associated with air pollution.

Digital Desk