LAHORE: Fog engulfed Lahore a bit too early when it appeared in late October 2016, blotting out the sunshine and causing various issues for drivers. People with eye and skin irritation as well as breathing problems started heading to hospitals.

Later, it was discovered that this heavy thick curtain was not a natural occurrence, but smog. The reasons were several including trans-boundary smoke emitted from India due to stubble burning mixed with the smoke from firecrackers burst on Diwali. In images released by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), some crops were seen burning in Pakistan as well. Other reasons included the dust from several development projects and, of course, traffic congestion and burning of third-rate fuels by small industries.

As the same time approaches this year, there isn’t much information for the public or experts to analyse the situation.

The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) does not seem to be prepared for any emergency situation although officials claim to be working on it. Their air quality machines are not fully functional.

EPD Labs Director Tauqeer Ahmed Qureshi says heavy duty machines needed for measuring particulate matter and noxious gases are not only highly sensitive, but also extremely expensive.

“We have limited finance and human resources,” he admits. “Our last tender for the instruments was for Rs40 million per machine, while maintenance would cost Rs5 million every year per station.”

Even if the three instruments they have were working perfectly, he says, they could get readings only for two fixed areas every day. The city needs at least 15 to 20 stations.

“In every location, there are so many factors: proximity of industries, traffic congestion, time of the year, wind direction, temperature, cloud cover etc. How can we give a daily mean reading in such a situation?” he asks.

The annual cost of just maintaining an air quality monitoring system is much more than the department’s annual budget. The department’s development budget for 2017-18 is Rs540 million, said Deputy Director (Development) Tahir.

According to a joint research report, titled ‘Shared Environmental Concerns between India and Pakistan’, by environmental lawyer Ahmed Rafay Alam and Sanjay Upadhyay, the high cost of environmental sampling, which is the basis for any conviction before environmental tribunals, means that testing is seldom carried out. At the same time, innovative enforcement mechanisms such as pollution charges and self-monitoring rules have not yet been utilised.

Meanwhile, the department is blamed for wasting the equipment it has. Ten years ago, the three machines were acquired from a Japanese firm. A decade later, these instruments have rusted, as the EPD admits itself. If they were used, as officials claim they were, no one knows the air quality readings received as they were never made public.

“Whatever the readings are, the public has a right to know,” says Alam. “It is important for people to know the kind of air they are breathing.”

“We did not upload the results because sometimes knowledge can be an annoyance rather than benefit,” justifies Tauqeer Qureshi.

Meanwhile, to manage costs, he says a more compact German replacement has been found which costs around Rs15m per machine with Rs0.5m maintenance cost per annum for each machine.

“Right now the EPD has six stations -- Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Chakwal and Lahore, and one mobile. But they are all in the process of being set up,” he adds.

Qureshi also revealed that corruption has left the EPD in a bad state. “It was never revealed officially, but currently not a single factory is considered fit.”

“The meters should be up and running at all costs,” Alam says. “But in the long term, other initiatives can also be taken, for example replacing carbon emitting industries, taking action where cars are concerned, etc.”

Coal emitting industries are expected to spread much more air pollution. Instead, biomass industries are a better option, researchers say.

Alam’s research report also indicates that besides political interest and increased budget support being integral to a solution, independent provincial frameworks for climatic and environmental issues are needed to be devised, related institutions staffed with trained people, and programmes managed and monitored.

“We need to work out if it’s only trans-boundary or just a drop in temperature worsening the situation. Without proper data how can we make nuanced policies?” he questioned.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2017