PDMA declares Lahore calamity-hit city due to smog
The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday declared Lahore as a calamity-hit city and issued a notification, banning all activities that cause smog in the province.
A smog remedial notification was presented in the Lahore High Court (LHC) under which all smog-causing activities have been banned across the province.
According to the notification, special teams will be formed to control the smog, a crisis room will be established in the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) office.
The notification clarified that industries operating without remediation of pollution will be banned.
According to the notification, burning of crop residues will be banned and violators will be fined of Rs50,000.
The notification directed that Deputy Commissioners will take all necessary steps to control smog in their areas and take strict action against polluting vehicles and industries.
The notification further stated that sale of substandard fuel will be banned, a smooth flow of traffic will be ensured.
Those responsible for encroachments and wrong parking will be dealt with an iron hand. Smog advisory will be issued through departments concerned.
What is smog?
Smog is a combination of smoke and fog, which is usually associated with more densely populated industrial areas.
Such air pollution consists of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, ozone, smoke or less visible pollutants such as carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbons, etc.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the main cause of smog is the emission of gases from petrol and diesel vehicles, industrial plants, burning of crops or heat generated by human activities.
Even exposure to small amounts of smog is enough to increase the risk of asthma attacks for asthmatics, with the elderly, children and people with respiratory problems being the most affected.
Every year with the onset of winter in Pakistan, the upper and central parts of the country are engulfed in heavy fog, but the problem is getting worse with each passing year.
Due to smog, Lahore has been declared as the most polluted city in the world many times, which has surpassed India’s New Delhi in this list.
Last year, the situation became so intense that due to the smog in the city, the Lahore High Court directed the government to issue work notification for private offices with the presence of 50% of employees on the pattern of Covid-19.
Last month, the Punjab government decided to implement Section 144 in the province to prevent smog, banning the burning of crop residues and garbage.
In a detailed briefing, the Secretary of Environment Protection Department (EPD) said that, anti-smog squads have been formed in all districts and crackdown has launched against industries and vehicles that cause air pollution.
