India vs Pakistan on air pollution: Which cities are worst-affected?

While many Indian cities have been struggling with pollution in recent days, it appears things are no better across the border. A toxic smog has descended over Pakistan’s Punjab province, home to 115 million people, in recent days. The government has shut down schools, offices, restaurants, and businesses and declared a four-day holiday till Sunday to try to mitigate the worst impacts of the pollution. But which are the worst-affected cities in the two countries? And who has imposed what restrictions? Let’s take a closer look: What’s happening in Pakistan? Before we proceed, let’s take a brief look at Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a tool used by health authorities to explain to the public the current quality of air. It is broken up into the following categories – good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderately polluted (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301–400) and severe (401-500). Lahore has over the past few days retained its unwanted tag as one of the most polluted cities across the world, according to Swiss air technology company IQAir.

The city’s AQI was at a massive 422 on Thursday.

IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5. Its annual survey is widely cited by researchers and government organisations. As per Al Jazeera, that’s 30 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum average daily exposure. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a maximum PM2.5 concentration of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Lahore’s AQI was at 372 on Wednesday – the worst recorded anywhere in the world on that day and which was followed by Delhi at 302 and the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi at 204 – and 406 on Monday. In Rawalpindi, which is also in Punjab province, the AQI was at 170 on Thursday, 193 on Wednesday and 195 on Tuesday, The AQI recorded in Rawalpindi on Friday was 91. So what went wrong in Lahore? Traditionally, toward the end of the year after the winter harvest, millions of farmers clear their leftover rice stubble by setting fields alight to prepare for the incoming wheat crop. This, combined with vehicular and industrial pollution, has resulted in copious amounts of smog. As per CNN, colder temperatures trapped pollution particles thus creating a toxic haze. Caretaker chief minister of Punjab Province Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said that an “environmental and health emergency” has been imposed in three cities of Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Lahore until the situation improves. “There shall be a limited movement of people to and from these areas by public and private transport," a statement from Naqvi’s office said. As per CNN, the three cities alone have a combined populace of 15 million. Naqvi said educational institutions, public and private offices, restaurants, cinemas, parks, and gyms will remain closed from Thursday to Sunday. The markets and business centres will remain closed for Saturday and Sunday, he added. Marriage halls, pharmacies, and bakeries will, however, remain open. He said these holidays are only for this week. Navqi’s government has also barred more than four people from gathering in a single place. Naqvi has claimed that the main reason for the smog in Lahore and other parts of the province is the burning of crop residue across the border. He said caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has assured him that he would raise the issue. [caption id=“attachment_13375442” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Punjab Province chief minister Mohsin Naqvi has claimed that caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has assured him that he would raise the issue of crop burning with India. AP[/caption] But as per experts, both countries have the same problem with burning of crop residue. The chief minister has asked the people to stay at home during the holidays in order to reduce environmental pollution and smog. But those who have no choice but to venture out are struggling.

Salesman Ameer Hamza told BBC, “It feels like this poisonous atmosphere has become a part of our lives.”

“I go to various points to market products and when I go home after a long day, my eyes are red and irritated due to air pollution. And then my work is affected due to me being sick very often. Right now, I am nursing a cold, sore throat, and cough,” he said. “The weather is such that everyone has a bad throat and bad eyes, and everyone’s health is getting affected,” said Mohammad Salahuddin, a private guard in Lahore. Residents of Lahore received some respite on Friday after showers resulted in a considerable drop in air pollution. The city today saw its AQI reduce to 108. The AQI for Gujranwala and Hafizabad – which also had health emergencies imposed – was 150 and 147 respectively today. But environmentalist Rafi Alam slammed the government, telling the BBC the government’s strategies to fight pollution are “made only in haste, which are of no use”. “Until you recognise a problem as a problem, how can you fix it? Will sprinkling water or closing schools three days a week solve the smog problem?” Alam asked. Punjab’s caretaker government had on 1 November imposed a “smog emergency” in the province after an order from the Lahore High Court. LHC Justice Shahid Karim on had slammed the Lahore commissioner for his failure to control the air pollution. “Smog is not my personal problem but it is a matter of concern for the lives of our children. You are the custodian of Lahore city. See what you have done to it…you should be ashamed of Lahore’s condition,” the judge said. What about India? Indian cities have also been struggling with pollution. Delhi recorded an AQI of 434 on Thursday, 352 on Wednesday and 380 on Tuesday, as per IQAir. The National Capital, which was the fourth most polluted city in the world in 2022, has ordered schools shut till 18 November as per Al Jazeera.

It has also announced restrictions on vehicles to help curb pollution.

Delhi on Friday witnessed its AQI reduce to 108 after it received rainfall on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. The city has also proposed using artificial rainfall to combat air pollution and has sought the Centre’s support for doing so. [caption id=“attachment_13375372” align=“alignnone” width=“300”] The capital city of Delhi enveloped in smog. PTI[/caption] The Kejriwal government has plans to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding to combat air pollution in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday. However, the effectiveness and environmental impact of cloud seeding remain subjects of ongoing research and discussion. India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told PTI that inducing artificial rain can only be attempted when there are clouds or moisture available. Artificial rain through cloud seeding involves dispersing substances into the air to encourage condensation, resulting in precipitation. The most common substances used for cloud seeding include silver iodide, potassium iodide and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide). These agents provide the nuclei around which water vapour can condense, ultimately leading to the formation of rain or snow. This weather modification technique has been utilised in various parts of the world, primarily in regions experiencing water scarcity or drought conditions. Kolkata and Mumbai have also been struggling with air pollution. Mumbai witnessed an AQI of 122 on Thursday, 153 on Wednesday and 160 on Tuesday. Kolkata recorded an AQI of 238 on Thursday, 190 on Wednesday and 195 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Kolkata and Mumbai were respectively in the fifth and sixth spots on the list of most polluted cities in India – the top spot unsurprisingly went to Delhi.

Kolkata and Mumbai recorded an AQI of 238 and 80 respectively today.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has said it had taken a number of measures including banning of chullahs (coal-driven ovens used by vendors), asking real estate developers to cover construction sites to prevent spray of dust particles and deploying tankers with water sprayers in the city. Speaking to ABP Live on the pollution in Mumbai, SP MLA Rais Shaikh said, “This is a very serious subject. We have never invested in environmental control. Even the BMC has been a failure. We have a very small environmental department, and now the city is facing all this. Even if we have regulation, we don’t have implementation. Now, what you are facing is a neglect of 20 years, the system is very corrupt.” While India has some of the most polluted cities in the world, it ranked eighth overall in the 2022 AQI report, with PM2.5 levels at 53.3. Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions, according to a report published in August which flagged the growing burden of hazardous air on health.  With inputs from agencies