Smog in Lahore. Image by the author.

As the 29th session of the United Nation's Conference of the Parties (COP29), the largest international meeting on Climate Change, takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, smog levels in India and Pakistan have reached unprecedented levels on the World Air Quality Index (AQI), the international standard for recording air quality.

Delhi recorded an AQI of 429, while Lahore and Multan reported alarming levels of 1,900 and 2,000, respectively, during the first ten days of November.

This situation has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of Pakistan's anti-smog campaign, launched earlier in March. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has offered a glimmer of hope, forecasting rain in the coming days.

Over the past few years, industrialization, economic development, and population growth have significantly increased the demand for energy and fossil fuels in South Asian countries. Additionally, activities such as solid fuel combustion for cooking and heating, human cremation, agricultural waste burning, and Diwali celebrations, where fireworks and incense are common, have exacerbated environmental challenges in the region, particularly in India and Pakistan. These activities have likely contributed to the region being hit hardest by severe floods, heatwaves, and smog in recent years.

Smog and its impact

Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog containing very fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). It is an air pollutant that can be harmful to human health. Exposure to these tiny particles can cause serious health issues, including lung and heart diseases. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool used to measure air pollution levels and to warn the public to take precautionary measures.

The AQI scale. Screenshot via Youtube

According to health experts and the UN Environmental Program, any AQI score above 100 is considered unhealthy — particularly for sensitive groups like those with medical or respiratory issues.

Lahore, a city of 13 million, once celebrated as a city of gardens, heritage, and cuisine, is now choking under a concrete jungle and a growing number of vehicles, according to the Sectoral Emission Inventory report by The Urban Unit, a government think tank. Over the past few years, Lahore has undergone various urban development projects that led to widespread tree-cutting across the city. In 2023, the Lahore High Court intervened, banning the government from cutting down more trees as smog conditions continued to worsen.

According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2023 report, this region has been experiencing devastating health conditions over the past few years, reducing the average life expectancy of Pakistanis by 3.9 years. Even satellite images from the U.S. space agency NASA have captured the thick smog enveloping both sides of the border. Furthermore, the Punjab State of Environment Report 2023 notes that although numerous policies were previously adopted to combat smog, no significant improvements have been observed.

NASA’s Aqua satellite captured an image of smog and fog over northern Pakistan and northwestern India on November 10, 2024. Image via Wikimedia Commons by NASA GSFC. Public Domain.

Steps adopted by the government

As smog intensity increased at the end of October, the Punjab government implemented a “green lockdown” and established a “smog war room.” The government ordered schools in smog-affected cities across Punjab to close and shift to online learning. Restrictions were imposed on barbecue joints, motorcycle rickshaws, and marriage halls, while exemptions were made for pharmacies, laboratories, vaccination centers, and other essential services. A two-day work-from-home policy was also introduced.

The smog war room is tasked with monitoring and controlling farm waste burning, managing traffic, analyzing data twice a day, reviewing forecasts, and issuing daily advisories. Police have been deployed to enforce anti-smog measures.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz introduced a Roadmap for Smog Mitigation 2024–2025, outlining key reasons for air pollution: 39 percent from transport, 24 percent from industry, 16 percent from energy, 11 percent from agriculture, 9 percent from non-combustion industrial processes, and 1 percent from other sources. She emphasized the need for cross-border collaboration with Indian Punjab to address shared environmental challenges, noting that 30 percent of Lahore's smog is coming from India through the air. She also announced plans to write to the Chief Minister of Delhi to initiate “Smog Diplomacy.”

According to the Sustainable Development Policy Institute's (SDPI) report, The Air We Share, air pollution in Pakistan and India originates from similar sources, highlighting the necessity of bilateral collaboration to tackle the issue effectively.

Later, Nawaz was hospitalized for a throat infection and subsequently traveled abroad for treatment of a parathyroid condition, which drew severe public criticism.

In a special session of the Punjab Assembly, Senior Minister for Environment Protection and Climate Change, Marriyum Aurangzeb, presented the government’s initiatives to combat smog.

🔸The Punjab government has introduced Punjab’s first-ever comprehensive 10-year policy to tackle smog and enhance environmental protection.

🔸This policy includes short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans, with specific targets set for each sector. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif is…

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 12, 2024

She informed the assembly that hospital admissions had increased significantly over the past three months due to smog-related illnesses. The government is closely monitoring crop residue burning and has launched a new vehicle fitness system in Punjab. Under this system, vehicles failing inspections after three fines will face strict penalties.

Additionally, over 45,000 brick kilns were inspected, with 6,500 demolished, while others are being converted to cleaner zigzag technology. The government also planned a budget and plans to use artificial rain technology to improve air quality, as it did during last year’s smog season. Efforts are underway to raise public awareness using all available communication channels, such as the video below.

The Lahore High Court directed the Advocate General for Punjab (AGP), representing the Punjab government, and the provincial Secretary of the Transport Department to take immediate action to combat the dangerous smog and develop a 10-year execution plan.

Public reactions

Pakistan Air Quality Experts (PAQx), a group of Pakistani professionals, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging the government to take immediate action to address the smog crisis. Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, urged the Punjab government to take emergency measures to protect the region's over 11 million children under the age of five from the harmful effects of breathing toxic air.

Meanwhile, citizens used social media platforms to report smog conditions in their areas and question the government's priorities.

Imran Gabol, a journalist, criticized the government for failing to fulfill its responsibilities.

Lahore is dying and no one is doing anything to save it.#smog @PunjabGovtpk pic.twitter.com/GAWJDCngif

— Imran Gabol (@gabolizm) November 14, 2024

While the government faced harsh criticism online, the Markazi Ulema Council Pakistan (the country's council of religious clergy) issued a statement claiming that the smog in Lahore was a consequence of societal sins. This statement was widely mocked by users on X (formerly Twitter).

Mahwish Fakhar, a journalist, takes a jab at them on X:

Shukar hai is mai khateen ki jeans ka zikar nhi kiya gaya. https://t.co/YpWgF8h7gr

— Mahwish (@MawishFakhar) November 10, 2024

Thankfully they are not blaming women who wear jeans.

Deteriorating health conditions

Air pollution has significantly worsened health conditions for people with heart and lung diseases. The AQI level hit 1,500 again on Thursday, November 14th. In the entire Punjab province, 69,000 cases of respiratory diseases were reported in a single day. Despite the government’s awareness campaign, not everyone is wearing masks or staying indoors as recommended.

Speaking to Global Voices via WhatsApp, Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhary, a resident of Lahore, mother, and concerned citizen, shared her experience:

Smog season, as it is colloquially referred to now in Lahore, has been getting worse each year. From the end of September till February, my son and I rely on medication and inhalers. We use air purifiers and nebulize frequently, yet there are still days when illness strikes. My son ends up missing school, falling behind in his studies, and, most importantly, suffering in terms of his health and mental well-being. There is hardly any outdoor activity we can enjoy as a family during this time.