Welcome to the World’s Most Polluted City

Lahore happens to be the most happening place in Pakistan. It is the city which never sleeps. If it isn’t for its historic architecture, cultural wonders and plenty of shopping spots, it’s the food. When it comes to fulfilling your gastronomy wishes, Lahore is where you need to be heading. Be it authentic tastes or succulent flavors aplenty, Lahore is definitely a favorite.

Which is why it comes as extremely hard news to swallow that the latest air pollution ranking shows Lahore as being one of the worst in the world when it comes to air quality. This is followed by cities Delhi in India and Wuhan in China. The major cause of concern is the rising level of smog in the region. This is a natural disaster which occurs when there is a strong combination of smoke and fog which continues to rise in the atmosphere and that is most likely the case with the onset of winters. This is mainly due to the change in the humidity ratio as winter begins.

The smog level has been on a steady rise which has led residents and visitors to suffer from extreme breathing issues, including that of swelling of eyes as well as throat. Considering the health crisis the phenomenon has brought with it, the Punjab health department has advised citizens to not be leaving their homes without a mask and sunglasses. But when looking into why Lahore suffers from a rather higher rate of pollution in the air, it needs to be taken into serious consideration the vehicle and industrial emissions which have been resulting in higher levels of smog.

While it is highly unlikely the current condition will be subsided definitely, one can ponder upon how smog is of our own making and it is something we can definitely control when we apply quality measures and strict policies towards pollution control. When it comes to ensuring and committing towards a clean environment, the major step which every civilian can commit to is reducing our carbon footprint.

This includes limiting plastic wastage and ensuring in making Pakistan greener. While the government has already streamlined its Ten Billion Tree Tsunami which is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme which is all set out to plant ten billion trees by 2023, it is essential what every individual effort comes up to. Only when the whole country unites in its efforts to ensure a greener and cleaner Pakistan will we be able to attain a rightful place in the index in terms of high quality air in countries of the world.

The ozone layer as we know continues to deteriorate and it is up to us on how we shall play our role in securing this world to our forthcoming generations. Lahore is just the first step. When we aim to adopt a more conscious effort towards making Lahore smog-free, we will certainly be creating a ripple effect ensuring the whole country is committed to saving the environment and mother earth herself.

By Mehr Jan

Author is an Associate Editor for a leading weekly Sunday Magazine as well as a freelancer for a range of online publications. She pens with passion and feels there isn’t anything better than expressions through words. She aims to highlight all the good amidst the chaos surrounding us. She is currently residing in Islamabad, Pakistan.
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