Lahore, Oct 30 (PTI) Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday called for united efforts with the Punjab province of India against what she described as the common enemy ‘smog,’ saying it is “not a political but a humanitarian issue.” Addressing a Diwali event here, the chief minister said: “I have already stressed for having diplomacy with India on smog issue. I am thinking of writing a letter to Indian Punjab Chief Minister (Bhagwant Mann) to tell him that this is not just a political issue but a humanitarian one.” “Until both Punjabs come together, we will not be able to tackle the smog issue,” she said on a day when her provincial government issued a smog alert following an abnormal dip in the air quality of Lahore, which also affected the visibility here.
She reiterated her call for climate diplomacy with India saying people on both sides of the border will benefit from this initiative (if taken together).
“As we are taking steps to address this issue, there should be a matching response from India. The winds don’t know there’s a political border in between,” she said.
Last week, her government said it has planned artificial rains to mitigate the impact of the smog after Lahore faced an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 394. However, there has been no announcement of any date.
According to IQAir, Delhi ranked top with Lahore just six points behind it on Wednesday.
The hazardous smog has led to widespread health issues among the city residents, including coughing, breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and skin infections.
Smog – the moniker for combination of smoke and fog – is a specific phenomenon that occurs when certain polluting microparticles mix with cold, moist air and hang close to the ground, reducing visibility and causing health issues.
The smog alert by her government has forecast polluted air is set to travel from Amritsar, New Delhi and Chandigarh in India.
Meteorology plays an important role in determining the level of air pollution in north Pakistan, just as it is a major factor in neighbouring region of northwest India.
After the rainy season crops are harvested, farmers from both sides tend to burn stubble adding to the existing causes of pollution caused due to industrial emissions and transport. PTI MZ NPK NPK
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