LAHORE: As temperatures drop, a thick layer of fog descended on the province and the city, at least two weeks earlier (it started in the first week of January last year), dropped visibility to zero at some points and hit the entire travel network — air traffic, railways, highways and motorways.

According to meteorology department officials, the pattern would hold for the next few days as the temperature would drop even more as foggy conditions would persist and there are no chances of rain in central Punjab that can help clear conditions.

Worsened air pollution added to the problem. According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) data, Lahore’s air quality index rose up to 322 — a hazardous level, necessitating the use of face masks and advisory to avoid unnecessary exposure.

Other air quality measuring agencies, however, put it slightly higher at 348, with individual points registering even higher pollution; 525 at Aitchison College, 524 (DHA Phase-8), 415 (Fatehgarh) and 382 at Umer Block, Allama Iqbal Town. According to another estimate, Lahore was the most polluted city with AQI level of 369 on Wednesday.

Explaining the dichotomy, Amer Farooq of the EPA says few agencies measure pollution through a light-based system that confuses fog with smog.

The EPA measures it through a laser-based system that differentiates both and gives true picture of the pollution. “One must not forget that there are a few indicators if pollution crosses a threshold. Breathing issues in the elderly are one, and so is irritation in the eyes. Both are still missing."

He added that the EPA checked with the health officials, who said that the numbers of patients were still normal; "there is no exceptional increasing, substantiating the EPA data instead of that of private agencies,” says Farooq.

“Till 2016, the province and the country had a set system of fog, which would start around Dec 20 and last till Jan 10,” says a meteorologist from the city. It changed in 2016, when fog came in the first week of December. For the next three years, it started in November and against shifted to January last year."

This year, he continued, "It is back to mid-December cycle. This changing pattern is a result of the climatic impact which is causing trouble for everyone. This foggy weather will now stay for few weeks."

“In the last 24 hours, the authorities were forced to close Lahore-Sialkot, Lahore-Multan, Lahore-Islamabad and Lahore-Pindi Bhattian motorways,” says National Highways Authority spokesman Imran Shah.

On Wednesday, fog started even early and by 5pm, both Lahore-Multan and Lahore-Sialkot motorways were closed for traffic as visibility dropped to an alarming level. Patches of thick fog also impacted traffic on GT Road, slowing down the traffic to a snail’s pace, he says.

The Pakistan Railways escaped the impact by and large as only Awami Express got delayed by four hours on Wednesday. According to an official, even that delay was not caused by fog.

“However, there are a number of trains, which are moving slow and full impact of fog would be realised by tomorrow. Yesterday, fog came a little bit late on rail routes. But today, the onset was early and the railways might report more trains delayed,” he feared.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2021