LAHORE
Inaction against polluters and ineffective public awareness campaigns turned the provincial capital into one of the most polluted cities across the country during the year 2016.
Now the citizens can’t find clean and pure air to breathe in anywhere in the city, once known for its gardens and fresh air. Besides the problem of polluted air, citizens are also facing increased levels of noise and water pollution.
Untreated industrial and municipal waste water continues to affect the underground water aquifer but as usual the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) remained silent during the year and no concrete action was initiated against the polluters except taking eyewash measures.
Experts said that unplanned expansion of urban areas, absence of public transport and mass transit services, tremendous increase in the number of privately owned vehicles, presence of industrial clusters in densly populated localities have resulted in high concentrations of pollutants such as carbondioxide, nitrousoxides (NoX) and sulphuroxide (SoX), which are seriously affecting the health of general public.
Various government departments such as transport, environment and CDGL initiated several short-term campaigns against smoke emitting vehicles and two-stroke motorcycle-rickshaws during 2016.
Presence of excessive Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10) in the ambient air remained the top reason behind increased air pollution in the city. Sources in EPD revealed that during the year 2016 average PM concentration in Lahore had exceeded many-fold from the international standards and WHO guidelines. Major sources of the PM10 in the city were lack of green patches around the roads, ongoing construction of different infrastructural development projects, including Orange Train project, burning of solid waste, brick kilns and natural dust.
Ironically, the level of PM10 is far higher in less privileged localities because Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), which is responsible for maintaining green belts, has only performed its duties with dedication in posh localities and along big roads of the city.
Scattered solid waste, non-implementation of Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005, sale of hospital waste to the recycling industry in the city, manufacturing of underweight polythene bags, buring of plastic by industrial units especially in North Lahore, establishment of hazardous industrial units in residential areas are also some of the major issues, which contributed to the city’s deteriorated environmental health.
Recently, EPD launched a massive operation against hospital waste but citizens feared that this crackdown may end like the previous operations during which only notices were issued to the culprits instead of taking strict action against them.
Presence of light and heavy industrial units operating in various residential city localities i.e. Misri Shah, Baghbanpura, Moghalpura, Daroghewala, Bhagatpura, Chah Miran, Shadbagh and others along the Bund Road and GT Road remained operational during the year 2016 despite claims of different government authorities regarding shifting of these industrial units outside Lahore. These industries include steel foundries, steel re-rolling mills, brick kilns, steel furnaces, scrap yards, plastic recycling industry, marble grinding, furniture making and several other kinds of cottage industries, and they are openly causing massive air and noise pollution besides generating untreated industrial water, vibration and heat.
The city is already facing the impacts of global warming and the present situation of air, noise and water pollutions, if not controlled, may worsen the situation. Following the increased pollution levels, citizens are also facing various diseases. Citizens hope that in 2017 the Punjab government will launch indiscriminate drives against polluters besides launching massive public awareness drives to educate general public about different types of pollution and their impacts on human life.