Reuters
Thick layer of smog derailed normal activities for most people
The smog starts slowly.
At first you can't see it but you can feel it. It smells like something is burning. And this intensifies as the temperature drops.
Then, smoke and fog begin to envelop you and the city around you. Now you can see it. You walk through smoke, a thick ceiling hanging above your head.
If you don't wear a mask or pull it down for a moment, you will immediately breathe in sour air.
Your throat may start to itch and hurt. As the situation gets worse, you start to sneeze and cough. But it is worse for others: children, the elderly, those who have breathing difficulties. Hospitals know to expect this influx.
Lahore and its 13 million inhabitants have been suffocating for a week; the air quality index has exceeded the 1,000 mark several times this month – anything above 300 is considered dangerous.
Pakistani authorities rushed to respond to the crisis, which was unprecedented in scale, even in a city facing smog at this time of year.
Schools are closed, workers have been told to stay home and people have been asked to stay home – part of a so-called “green lockdown”, which has also seen motorbike rickshaws, heavy vehicles and parking of motorcycles prohibited in sensitive areas.
By the end of the week, the Lahore High Court had ordered the closure of all markets in Punjab province every evening at 8 p.m., with total closure on Sundays. Parks and zoos were also closed until November 17.
The problem, according to NASA scientist Pawan Gupta, is that pollution levels in the city “usually peak in late November and December.”
“So it’s just getting started. The worst days of pollution are probably still ahead of us,” he warned.
The smoke that enveloped Lahore, in Pakistan's Punjab province, is visible from space – as is part of the cause.
Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa show both the thick layer of smog and multiple concentrations of fires in the region between the Indian capital Delhi and Lahore in Pakistan.
The same image, six weeks earlier, shows clear skies and – crucially – far fewer fires.
A major cause of smog is fires caused by post-harvest stubble burning by farmers in Pakistan and India – a quick way to clear their fields for the next harvest.
Reuters
Pakistani authorities blame Indian farmers for 30% of the problem
This year, NASA estimates it will have “between 15,500 and 18,500 fires,” according to Hiren Jethva, a senior research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Morgan State University, a number higher than most. years.
According to Pakistan's environmental protection authorities, about 30 percent of Lahore's smog originates across the border in India. The Indian government this year doubled fines for farmers caught burning stubble in an attempt to tackle the problem.
But much of Lahore's air pollution comes from its five million motorcycles and millions of other vehicles. The Lahore High Court on Friday identified high emissions from traffic as the main cause of smog, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
Then there are industries on the outskirts of the city, such as coal-fired brick kilns, which pollute the air even more.
And in the final months of the year, all of this combines with the cold air descending from Tibet, creating the smog that currently blankets the city.
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Many people, like this vegetable seller, have no choice but to go out and eke out a living in the smog.
EPA
The state's high court placed much of the blame on vehicle emissions.
It is clear that toxic air makes people sick.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI), a value of 50 or less indicates good air quality, while a value greater than 300 indicates hazardous air quality.
WHO guidelines state that the average concentration of PM2.5 should be less than five.
Abid Omar, founder of the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, which collects data from 143 air quality monitors across the country, says readings in Lahore “have exceeded the index every day of november “.
“Some places in Lahore have crossed 1,000,” he says, adding: “On Thursday, we had a reading of 1,917 on the AQI scale.”
Getty Images
Visibility remains very poor due to heavy smog
On Tuesday, it was widely reported that 900 people had been admitted to hospital in Lahore with breathing difficulties.
“More and more people are complaining of asthma, itchy throat and cough,” says Dr. Irfan Malik, a pulmonologist at one of the largest hospitals in Lahore.
He has already seen an increase in the number of patients complaining of respiratory illnesses – “particularly worrying as we have not yet experienced our first cold spell of the winter season”.
Danger is a constant worry for Sadia Kashif, a resident of Lahore.
“Like all mothers, I want to see my children running and playing without fear of pollution,” she told the BBC.
“These days I see my children suffering from coughs and breathing problems, and it is a painful reminder that our air has become extremely toxic. »
But the current “green confinement” has not impressed her.
“It is easy for the government to close schools rather than take real action to address the crisis,” says Kashif.
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Emissions from brick kilns around Lahore also contribute to air pollution
For years, authorities have struggled to find a solution to Lahore's pollution problem.
The government hopes short-term solutions will provide some respite, but says long-term solutions – such as improving public transport – will take time.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced this week that she plans to write a letter to her counterpart in Indian Punjab inviting them to engage in “climate diplomacy” as it impacts both regions . Delhi says it is yet to hear from Pakistan on the issue.
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Authorities are using a number of short-term measures, such as spraying with water to remove dust particles.
However, Omar emphasizes that air pollution is not a seasonal problem but a persistent one.
“Lahore is much more polluted than Delhi with pollution episodes lasting longer and reaching higher peaks,” he notes.
And the situation is getting worse, he believes. According to its own data analysis, the level of pollution increased by 25% in October compared to the same period last year.
Governments on both sides of the border must act quickly to resolve this problem, he says.
“The roadmap to clean air is clear, but current policies in India and Pakistan are not enough to significantly reduce pollution. »
This leaves him skeptical about change in the near future.
“I tell people that blue skies are an indicator of good governance,” says Omar.
