Smog War between India and Pakistan: Is the India is Responsible in the Meaning of Diwali & Crops Burning?

Usama Abdul Karim
Lahore, Pakistan – Once again, Lahore has claimed an unpleasant title as the most polluted city in the world, with hazardous air quality indices (AQI) reaching alarming levels. AQI is the indicator used by government agencies to check Air quality that how much air is polluted and bad for our health. Is India’s Diwali festival to blame for Lahore’s poor air quality, or are local factors equally responsible? Every year, Diwali, a major Hindu festival celebrated with firecrackers and fireworks, agrees with a famous uptick in air pollution across India. Given Lahore’s closeness to the Indian border, particulate matter from cross-border emissions is suspected to contribute to the smog engulfing Lahore, leading to a spike in particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels. Fireworks, often a part of Diwali celebrations, release toxic pollutants that remain in the air for days. When combined with wind patterns, these pollutants can drift across borders, irritating Lahore’s already risky air quality. Environmental scientists have observed that, during Diwali, AQI levels tend to peak in northern Indian cities, but the pollution does not stop there. Air quality data often shows a relationship between high pollution levels in Punjab, India, and Lahore’s increased smog. Additionally, the cross-border issue of crop residue burning, a practice common in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab during this time of year, contributes significantly to the thick blanket of smog that infect annually. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday issued an advisory on the rising smog levels. It attributed the present state to industrial pollution and vehicle emissions, saying this would be exacerbated by enabling weather factors that allow harmful pollutants to remain lodged in the atmosphere. The PMD warned that the smog crisis could trigger severe respiratory ailments and lower road visibility, leading to accidents. Stubble burning has often been cited as the major reason for the high smog Ratio during the winter months every year. It is typically done to clear the residue of rice crops to pave the way for wheat cultivation. The practice is carried out in Indian Punjab and this is also a main reason of Smog in the world especially Lahore. Pakistani politicians have long blamed Indian farmers for engaging in the practice and sending toxic smog across the border. Earlier this month Chief Minister of Punjab in Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz urged for climate diplomacy with India to coordinate their response to the smog crisis. Pakistani politicians have long blamed Indian farmers for stubble burning and sending toxic smog across the border. Social media is flooded with opinions, with some blaming Indian practices for the current state of the city’s air and others pointing to local mishandling. Speaking a Diwali event in Lahore today, Maryam (CM of Lahore) said: “We need to have diplomacy with India regarding the issue of smog in Lahore. I’m thinking of writing a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister [Bhagwant Mann] in India that this is not just a political issue, this is a humanitarian issue. On October 22, the Punjab government in Pakistan said it will use artificial rain to help deal with the growing smog problem in Lahore. This announcement came after Lahore was named the most polluted city in the world by AQI, which reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) level of 394, considered hazardous. The AQI value exceeds 55.6 times the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guideline value in Lahore. Now, my request to Pakistani government to held a green lock down in Lahore and also takes more steps to artificial rain in Lahore. If Indian government don’t collaborate with us than we need to take steps on borders to prevent smog to enter in Pakistan by invent a new technology.Its time to secure Lahorians to prevent from different infections that appeared in the coming month.