Dangerous cocktail

There are fears, notably in Punjab, that the mixture of smog and the Covid-19 virus could present an extremely dangerous health hazard to people. With winter beginning to set in, there are already signs of smog in Lahore and other major cities. Research has shown that high levels of smog damage the immune system and make it more difficult to resist the virus. In addition, smog contributes to respiratory disease and breathing problems, both factors which play a part in how Covid-19 affects people. There is also concern among experts that the air particles which make up smog may hang in the air longer and carry with them the Covid virus, increasing the chances of a dangerous infection amongst a larger number of people. Doctors also say it is possible that this time round, the Covid virus may claim more lives because of a mutation which makes it more dangerous than the previous version.

While we may not be able to fight Covid-19, except through SOPs, we can fight smog. This is something that will have to be done urgently and on a footing that puts us ahead of the performance in previous years. Most of those who live in Lahore will remember that in 2019 smog descended on Lahore and other cities making breathing difficult and reducing the air quality to amongst the worst of all cities in the world. Only New Delhi stood ahead of Lahore and on certain days, Lahore defeated even New Delhi. Already at the start of November, the air quality in Lahore has been noted as being unhealthy. The particles in the air are nearly six times higher than the level noted as safe by the WHO. In other cities, the situation is even more hazardous with high levels of particles recorded in Bahawalpur and other cities.

The Lahore High Court has ordered the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and district authorities to act immediately and said that measures ordered in the past such as controlling vehicular emissions and the use of brick kilns and factories need to be implemented without further delay. While these orders have already been given, they have not been followed, as yet. Brick kiln owners have appealed for the order limiting their use from the end of November to the end of December to be lifted. This request has been refused, given the amount of pollution produced by brick kilns, and the manner in which this adds to smog hanging in the air. Vehicular pollution is also an extremely dangerous factor and traffic police have been ordered to remove vehicles that emit dangerous fumes from the roads. All this is part of a plan to try and control Covid-19 and prevent it from assuming even more dangerous proportions. The lack of rains in November as predicted by the Met Office could exacerbate matters and make the situation still worse. There is plenty to watch out for and every possible precaution is necessary.