Days after the air quality index in Pakistan's Lahore hit a record high of 1900, Senior Minister in the Government of Punjab in Pakistan Marriyum Aurangzeb came up with a genius idea. She said that India and Pakistan, especially Punjabs on both sides of the border, need to come up with a joint plan to tackle smog.
That's right. In a recent interview, she stressed on the need for 'smog diplomacy' as Lahore continues to choke on hazardous air.
"It is a national disaster for both countries, especially both Punjabs. If we look at the data of the past 3-4 days, the AQI in Lahore shot up to extreme levels forcing us to shut our primary schools," she said in an interview with The Indian Express.
Citing data, she said that the wind from the Eastern Corridor, blowing from India towards Lahore, is affecting Pakistan the most. She said that her suggestion for smog diplomacy is not political but based on scientific data and conditions such as wind.
When asked if winds from India were the only reason for pollution in Lahore, she said that is not the sole cause of smog in the Pakistani metropolis. She added that the paddy harvesting season from October-December, changing weather and Diwali festivities across the border contribute to worsening smog.
"As soon as wind changes direction, the AQI in Lahore drops to 200 or so…. As I said, both the countries need to explore and study more data on this. It’s not like that I am blaming India or vice-versa,” she said.
While acknowledging Pakistan's stubble burning woes, she said that the difference between both the countries is that of magnitude.
Marriyum Aurangzeb added that in Pakistan, the government is distributing super seeder machines to farmers for managing paddy stubble and arrested over 100 individuals for stubble burning on Monday.
Previously, Marriyum Aurangzeb described the pollution situation in the country as "unexpected", while attributing the deterioration in air quality to winds carrying pollution from neighbouring India. She said that the provincial government of Pakistan's Punjab would initiate talks with India through Pakistani foreign ministry.
“Smog is not a political but a humanitarian issue… The air does not recognise borders between our two countries. It’s impossible to fight smog unless both Punjabs take steps together,” she said. Meanwhile, the metropolis in Pakistan has an AQI of 1,175 as of 8 am on Wednesday, according to Swiss air technology air company IQAir.
Given the hazardous air quality, primary schools have been closed for a week in Lahore and parents have been advised to make children wear masks. All office employees will be forced to work from home to reduce vehicle pollution.