A man crosses a street engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 16, 2024. Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab on on November 15 extended school closures in smog-hit major cities by a week, with thousands hospitalised as the country battles record air pollution.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Pakistan’s Punjab government on Friday (November 16, 2024) declared smog a “health crisis” and used artificial rain in several cities across the province in an effort to combat its hazardous levels, as millions reported breathing problems and other respiratory issues over the past month.

This is the second time the Punjab government went for artificial rain. In December last year, the government had a successful cloud seeding experiment in Lahore.

Also read | Pakistan bans entry to parks, zoos as air pollution worsens

“The cloud seeding experiment conducted in Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, and Gujar Khan cities of Punjab resulted in rainfall in Jhelum and Gujar Khan on Friday,” the Punjab government said in a late night statement.

It said it held a successful trial of artificial rain using local technology. “Cloud seeding was carried out at 2pm Friday and within hours, it rained in Jhelum and Gujar Khan. There is also a strong likelihood of rainfall in Lahore after this experiment. The artificial rainfall will significantly help reduce smog,” it said.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference here, senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the Punjab government has imposed a “health emergency” in Lahore and Multan districts to combat dense smog blanketing the province of about 130 million population for the last few weeks.

According to the provincial health department, around two million cases of respiratory disease, besides complaints of asthma, chest infections, conjunctivitis and heart issues, have been reported in hospitals during the last month.

Dense smog caused by toxic pollutants has engulfed several cities in Punjab with Lahore and Multan being the worst hit.

The AQI (air quality index) reading in Multan has already crossed 2,000 twice, setting a new record for air pollution.

Aurangzeb said the hospital data did not give the complete picture of the adverse health impacts caused by smog as it only included reported cases.

“Many people suffering from respiratory problems don’t visit hospitals to seek doctors’ advice and instead self-medicate at home or visit informal dispensaries,” she said.

“At the moment, the smog crisis has turned into a health crisis. Various factors contributing to smog include transport, agriculture, energy, our habits, behaviour, and actions towards nature,” she said, adding that the Punjab government had made a 10-year smog mitigation plan to address the issue.

According to the government, the artificial rain project was a collaborative effort involving Pakistan’s scientific research and development experts (SPD), Army Aviation, PARCO and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Punjab government, culminating in the successful artificial rain.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated all the institutions and scientific experts involved in the achievement.

“Today, dedication, hard work, and expertise have written a new chapter in the history of Punjab. The entire nation is proud of the team,” she said.

Lahore and some other cities of Punjab are facing the worst pollution for the last few weeks.

The Punjab government has taken various measures, including shutting schools, cracking down on vehicles emitting excessive smoke, and prohibiting barbecues and visits to recreational places, to combat smog.

These measures have, however, proven insufficient to address the crisis.

Pakistan’s Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution.

The province has closed educational institutions and public spaces like parks and zoos until Nov. 17 in places including Lahore, the world’s most polluted city in terms of air quality, according to Swiss group IQAir’s live ratings.

The districts of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala have seen an unprecedented rise in patients with respiratory diseases, eye and throat irritation, and pink eye disease, the Punjab government said in an order issued late on Sunday.

The new restrictions will also remain in force until Nov. 17.

Image credit: Reuters

“The spread of conjunctivitis/ pink eye disease due to bacterial or viral infection, smoke, dust or chemical exposure is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health,” the Punjab government said.

While outdoor activities including sports events, exhibitions and festivals, and dining at restaurants have been prohibited, “unavoidable religious rites” are exempt from this direction, the order said.

Outlets like pharmacies, oil depots, dairy shops and fruit and vegetable shops have similarly been exempted from the directions to close by 8 p.m. local time.

Lahore’s air quality remained hazardous on Monday, with an index score of more than 600, according to IQAir, but this was significantly lower than the 1,900 that it touched in places earlier this month.

A score of 0-50 is considered good.

UNICEF on Monday also called for greater efforts to reduce pollution and protect children’s health in Punjab, saying that more than 11 million children under five years of age are in danger as they breathe the toxic air.

“In addition, schools in smog-affected areas have been closed…the learning of almost 16 million children in Punjab has been disrupted,” said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in the country.

“Pakistan, already in the grips of an education emergency…cannot afford more learning losses,” he said.

Several parts of South Asia are engulfed by a toxic haze each winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from farm fires.

Punjab has blamed its toxic air this year on pollution wafting in from India, where northern parts have also been battling hazardous air, and has said it will take the issue up with the neighbouring country through its foreign ministry.

India’s Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi government to decide by Nov. 25 on imposing a perpetual ban on firecrackers, legal news portal Bar and Bench reported.

Firecrackers set off by revellers on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebrated on Oct. 31 this year despite a ban, have aggravated the region’s pollution problem.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)