Pak blames India for deteriorating air quality

Ministers in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Monday blamed winds from India for worsening smog here, urging Indian authorities to take the matter seriously after the capital’s air quality index hit a record high this weekend.

Toxic gray smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mostly children and the elderly, since last month, when air quality began to deteriorate in the city bordering India, Lahore. The concentration of PM 2.5, or small particles, in the air approached 450, which is considered hazardous, the Punjab Environment Protection Department said.

“The wind direction is bringing air from India to Pakistan, but India does not seem to be taking this issue as seriously as it should,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told media here. She urged the Indian side of the state of Punjab to take the matter seriously.

“Delhi ranks first in smog levels today, followed by Lahore in second. Delhi’s air quality index is around 393, while that of Lahore is almost 280,” she said, adding that China has been suffering from smog for 26 years.

Earlier, Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the province will request Pakistan’s foreign ministry to address the issue of cross-border pollution with India.

“Easterly winds from Amritsar and Chandigarh have increased the air quality index in Lahore to above 1,000 in the last two days,” she said.

“The winds from India towards Lahore are bringing the smog to dangerous levels and the winds are likely to continue in this direction at least next week. People must take care of themselves by avoiding leaving their homes unnecessarily. Elderly people and children should be especially careful,” Aurangzeb said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also called for climate diplomacy with India and said she would soon write a letter to the chief minister of the Indian side of Punjab to jointly tackle the issue of smog.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has closed primary schools in Lahore for a week due to the rising smog.

The government has closed schools for specially handicapped children for three months.

Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to the 19th centuries. However, rapid urbanization and rising population growth leave little room for greenery.