The Punjab government in Lahore is shifting its focus from treating smog as a seasonal issue to a year-round epidemic, requiring urgent interventions. This change comes after Pakistan ranked as the second most polluted country, with Lahore being the fourth most polluted city in the world in 2023.
The Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) is now treating smog as a year-round epidemic, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif stressing the importance of preventing smog altogether. A policy shift has been initiated, requiring all government departments to work together to prevent smog in the short and long term.
The Punjab government has launched a preventive operation from July to September 2024, conducting a rigorous campaign for operations and communication to encourage people to create smog-free safe spaces. This includes cracking down on brick kiln owners, vehicles emitting smoke, and industrial emissions.
The government is also pursuing climate financing to address the carbon footprint issue and has launched a subsidy scheme for farmers to deal with stubble burning. Additionally, technological solutions, like gas analyzers at traffic intersections, are being implemented to monitor smog hotspots.
This unified action plan aims to mitigate smog on a war footing, focusing on greening, clean energy, and controlling industrial emissions, among other measures.
Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2024