Hazardous for life

At one time, Lahore was known as the city of gardens. Now, it has become one of the world’s most polluted cities. According to the air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index, Lahore is the most polluted city in the world. The value of the Air Quality Index (AQI) explains the status of purity of air. The greater the AQI value, the higher the levels of air pollution. For the last two decades, the AQI value in Lahore has not dropped below 150, which is quite dangerous. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the AQI value of less than 50 is considered satisfactory. Last month, Lahore’s AQI fell in the range of 301, which has been classified as ‘hazardous for life’. The brick sector, industries, the agriculture and transportation sectors are the main contributors of air pollution. The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) conducted research on the sectoral emission inventory of Punjab which revealed that the major portion of the total air pollutants are emitted by the transport sector – 43 percent. It further added that 25 percent of the total air pollutants are emitted by the industry sector. The agricultural sector also contributes to air pollution by 20 percent.

The government should take steps to deal with the rising levels of pollution. It should implement different policies to control air pollution. Besides this, the government should also start an organised campaign to sensitise the public about the hazardous effects of air pollution around us.

Muneeb Ahmed

Lahore