Smog Over Pakistan – Causes, Effects and Threats

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Written By: Aimon Tanvir Malghani

Recently, there has been great concern about the rising level of smog prevailing over large areas of the
Punjab. Before going into the details of the issue, we need to understand what smog is and what causes
it. Generally, smog is a type of air pollution that is caused when smoke combines with fog. The
condition is common in urban centers during the winter season, especially in the month of December.
Classic smog results from the burning of coal and mixing of sulfur dioxide and smoke. In urban areas,
burning of fossil fuels in the engines of vehicles as well as the combustion in industrial zones releases a
large amount of pollutant gases in the atmosphere that, under favourable conditions of temperature and
humidity, get mixed with the fog to form smog. Hence, basically, smog results from the intervention of
human activities and anthropogenic emissions with the natural ecosystems. The phenomenon can be
attributed to modernization and industrialization of the human communities and it tends to occur
almost every year during a specific time period.

Like every other phenomenon in nature, the conditions for the formation of smog also follow proper
clock or timing. It usually does not occur at the start of the season when the temperature has not
lowered enough. Plus, the problem of smog was reported earlier in the urban centers only but this time
several suburbs and small cities that do not have large industrial settlements, have also encountered
the same problem and the problem is no longer at small scale but on a bigger one when people need to
wear masks to avoid the contaminated air getting into their lungs. Owing to these extended implications
the research institutions, the academia, the government, NGOs and the international organizations have
raised concerns over the issue, and have started smog monitoring campaigns in an attempt to identify
the causes of this disaster. Although, smog occurs every year, the problem has worsened over the past
five years owing to the expansion of cities, overpopulation and increased usage of fossil fuels.

Coming to the recent episode of smog, the cause cannot be attributed to a single action; rather there are
multiple factors involved. Expectedly, and most agreeably, agricultural fires in the state of Punjab
(India) are one of the reasons behind the prevailing issue. On October 23, 2016, NASA published an
image from Soumi NPP Satellite. The image was taken from the VIRS instrument on the satellite and it
showed huge agricultural fires in India and some scattered fires were also shown in Pakistan. The
Punjab state grows about one-fifth of India’s wheat. Setting fire to the previous crop’s residue has the
 benefit of clearing out some pests that may eat
the crop, turning the residue to into fertilizing
ash. Almost 16% of the crop residue was burnt
on the farms in India in 2009 (Jain et Al.,
2013). The proportion must have increased
manifold by now. The same authors report that
agricultural crop residue burning contributes
towards the emission of greenhouse gases
namely, carbon dioxide, di-nitrogen oxide and
methane. Also, many other pollutant gases like
carbon monoxide, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen
and sulfur, and volatile organic compounds are
emitted in the process. Oxides of sulfur play a
vital role in the formation of smog.

The red dots showing burning of the crop residue in various areas (Image Source: NASA)
Further evidence suggests that on average, there has been high relative humidity during the month of
October which provided favourable conditions for the formation of smog over the region. For Lahore,
humidity during the month ranged from 34%-92%, giving an average of 63%.

As the subject environmental problem is of trans-boundary nature, wind speeds and directions may also
play a crucial role. Experts say that increase in the levels of construction dust, burning of garbage
(open burning of waste), factory emissions and motor vehicle exhausts are all contributing factors in
the havoc of smog (The Washington Post, November 5). Meteorologists say that this smog is unusual
and loaded with toxic air.

Relative humidity (Lahore), October, 2016 (Source: weathersparks.com)

Similar problem has been reported in the Indian capital of New Dehli. Dehli is considered to be one of
the most polluted city centers of the world and is normally beset by toxic air, but government data
shows that the current levels of smog are higher than the last seventeen years recorded (The
Washington Post, November 5). Lahore was also listed along with Dehli amongst the top 10 worst cities
for smog in 2014.

Serious implications of smog have been observed during the past few years. It causes major health risks
including asthma, lung tissue damage, bronchial infections, various forms of allergies and heart
problems. There is no other option left for the general public except wearing masks and glasses to avoid
the effects of smog. Smog has caused irritation in the eyes of residents and an increase in respiratory
related problems has been observed. The condition is particularly more dangerous for the people who
already have some sort of respiratory disorders. Meteorology Department of Pakistan has warned
people regarding the seriousness of the issue and advised not to go outside unnecessarily. According to
monitoring reports from the Environment Protection Department, the levels of carbon dioxide,
hydrogen sulphide and sulfur dioxide have risen far above the level of human tolerance and this
includes emissions coming from India caused by burning of about 32 million tonnes of crop residue.
Smog cover has also contributed in the increase in temperature by acting as a greenhouse and trapping
the energy coming from the sun. Fortunately, rains during the second week of November in some areas
of Punjab have lowered the severity of the problem to some extent where the smog has been wiped away
by rain water.

Air pollution poses serious threats to man and the environment. World Health Organization reports
that 92% of the world’s population lives in areas where air quality exceeds the safe levels and poses
serious hazards to human health. UNICEF reports say that six million deaths around the globe are
caused by exposure to air pollution, whether it is indoor or outdoor. Smog has the capacity to dry out
the protective membrane of the nose and throat and hence, can interfere with the human immune
system, making it more prone to illness.

Low visibility forces the authorities to close the highways and motorways that connect various parts of
the country. Transportation becomes limited and the business sector gets paralyzed. Furthermore, smog
 may also impact the new crops that are being sown and may cause a delay in their sprouting season
which will disturb the overall crop cycle of the region.

The above mentioned threats caused by peaking air pollution demand serious commitment on the behalf
of people, institutions and the government to understand the impacts of their footprints on the
environment and work towards building a healthier environment for the present as well as for the
generations to come.

The writer is a student of MS Environmental Science at NUST.

Email: aimontanvir@gmail.com

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1 comment

UMAIR Comment Link

07 October 2017

Very good write-up. I certainly love this website. Thanks!