by Javed baloch source: News Agencies
images source: Unsplash
Every winter, northern India and Pakistan experience heavy smog. This thick and toxic urban smog is mainly caused by pollutants, emissions, crop residue burning, and lower temperatures trapping emissions.
Studies show that the smog pollution could lower life expectancy by over five years. In Punjab Pakistan, farmers burn rice crop residue after harvest, which contributes to smog.
Other major contributors include transport emissions, industrial waste, and firecrackers during festivals like Diwali.
Penalties on crop burning helped reduce emissions in Delhi and Lahore. However, the local pollution from transport and industry remains high. Water cannons and other tactics are only partially effective.
Climate experts have urged India and Pakistan to find a diplomatic solution to pollution control and curb the issue of toxic smog. However, tensions between the countries continue to complicate joint efforts.
Experts recommend stronger policies, including better waste management, renewable energy adoption, reduced coal use, and stronger regulation and fines to curb pollution.
Air pollution is attributed to worsening health and causes respiratory and lung diseases. It also leads to lost work days incurring economic losses.
Climate change can worsen the pollution issue by increasing heat over urban cities. This makes it harder for the atmosphere to disperse pollutants to the upper layers.
Delhi and Lahore are two of the top most polluted cities in the world according to the reading of Air Quality Index.