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Analysis: How Lahore Became the World’s Most Polluted Place

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How Lahore Became the World’s Most Polluted Place

Unprecedented smog in the “city of gardens” comes from a confluence of familiar factors..

This past month, Lahore, Pakistan, has repeatedly topped the daily ranking of most polluted city in the world. Pollution and winter weather conditions combine to shroud the city in smog—disrupting flights, causing major road closures, and wreaking havoc on the health of its citizenry.

The problem of air pollution has been steadily growing in Lahore and many other cities in Punjab province. Punjab is the most populous province in Pakistan with an estimated population of 110 million people. Five cities in Punjab were listed among the 50 most polluted cities in the world in 2020. The situation in other major Pakistani cities, such as the coastal megalopolis of Karachi, is not much better. Yet, the current situation in Lahore is most alarming, with its fine particulate count repeatedly rising well above 40 times the World Health Organization’s air quality guideline values.

Prolonged or heavy exposure to hazardous air causes varied health complications, including asthma, lung damage, bronchial infections, strokes, heart problems, and shortened life expectancy. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution  estimated in 2019 that 128,000 Pakistanis die annually due to air pollution-related illnesses. Decision-makers have been slow to react to the pollution problem. In 2019, Pakistan’s minister of climate change infamously dubbed growing concern about the smog problem in Lahore as being a conspiratorial attempt to spread misinformation . Many officials and politicians continue blaming stubble burning by Indian farmers as the main cause for Lahore’s smog problem. Blaming India may be a tit-for-tat response to similar Indian accusations, but it not an accurate assessment. Ever-changing wind patterns during the stubble-burning season mean wind directions keep fluctuating across the India-Pakistan border. “The smog in Lahore is caused by a confluence of metrological and anthropogenic factors,” said Saleem Ali, a member of the United Nations’ International Resource Panel. Namely, temperature inversion traps pollution in the atmosphere, which—alongside seasonal crop burning on the Indian-Pakistani border—combines with other sources of year-round pollution and fog to cause a spike in pollution and winter smog.

The reasons why air quality has been steadily declining in cities like Lahore are numerous. Vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, fossil fuel-fired power plants, the burning of waste materials, and coal being burned by thousands of brick kilns spattered across the province are all part of the problem. A Food and Agriculture Organization’s source appropriation study in 2020 singles out power producers, industry, and the transport sector in particular as culprits.

Over the past 15 years, Lahore has lost a significant proportion of its tree cover due to an aggressive plan to build highways, underpasses, and overpasses. Car sales in the city are booming, and many of the cars plying the roads spew toxic emissions due to a lack of vehicular inspections and widespread adulteration of fuel. Even the unadulterated form of fuel available in Lahore is of low quality.

The lack of vehicular fitness and emissions testing, alongside use of poor-quality fuel, have compounded the city’s air pollution problem, said Hammad Naqi Khan, director-general of World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan. Federal plans to switch to Euro 5-compliant fuel have faltered due to lingering economic troubles, including rising inflation. Faced with an alarmingly high level of air pollution in Lahore, the Punjab government has announced the imposition of a provincial embargo on Euro 2 fuel supplies, which is supposed to go into effect as of next month. Whether the provincial government’s plan to switch to cleaner fuel will fare any better than the federal government’s earlier resolve remains to be seen.

Conversely, bicyclists and pedestrians, who made up almost 45 percent of traffic in Lahore in 2015, remain a low priority when it comes to planning transport infrastructure, evidenced by the near absence of bike lanes or even sidewalks. And while Lahore has invested in expensive metro bus and rail projects, the feeder transit system needed to further optimize use of these metro public transport projects has not received enough attention.

Lahore, along with the rest of Pakistan, desperately needs to shift away from its reliance on fossil fuels. Doing so would help clean up the transport and energy production sectors simultaneously. Last year, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority noted that due to fossil fuels’ price volatility and renewables’ decreasing cost, viable options for meeting the country’s energy needs through more sustainable sources were needed. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has also set an ambitious target for Pakistan to generate 30 percent of its energy needs via renewable sources by 2030. Achieving this target will not be easy. Powerful interests are invested in the promotion of fossil fuels and the transmission infrastructure it requires.

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When faced with acute power shortages, Pakistan has recently turned to China to help meet its electricity shortfalls under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As elsewhere within China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative, China exported its coal-fired technology to plants being set up in the Punjab and elsewhere in the country. Around 19 percent of power generation in Pakistan in 2019-2020 was produced by just four coal-fired CPEC power plants, including the 1320MW Sahiwal coal-fired power plant, located in the agricultural heartland of Punjab.

China has recently vowed to stop financing coal-fired energy projects abroad, but this announcement will probably not impact projects that are already in the pipeline, including another coal-fired plant in Arifwala, Punjab. As Pakistan’s government also remains keen to exploit indigenous coal reserves to produce electricity, it has announced plans to mitigate pollution by potentially converting existing and future coal-fired plants into coal-to-liquid or coal-to-gas plants. Yet, environmentalists worry such processes are costly, water and energy intensive, and do not provide a sustainable solution to meet Pakistan’s energy requirements.

Judicial activism, monitoring, and reportage by local and international agencies has at last compelled Punjab’s government to pay attention to Lahore’s pollution problem. The provincial Environment Protection Department is now tracking and reporting air quality data, but this data is still unreliable, patchy, and based on a handful of air quality monitors. The provincial government also has several rules on the books that enable it to measure and fine polluters. Yet, there is a lack of capacity and resolve to ensure effective enforcement due to contradictory positions adopted by those in charge to deal with the problem. Although the Commissioner Lahore Office has constituted anti-smog squads in the city, Punjab’s minister for environment protection has simultaneously asked law enforcement agencies to act against private individuals or companies issuing unauthorized air quality data, which he feels is harming the country’s reputation.

Decision-makers in Lahore focus on Band-Aid solutions; for example, on particularly pollution-heavy days, offices and schools are closed to lessen human exposure and reduce traffic emissions. Punitive measures also target farmers who burn stubble and clamp down on brick kilns. However, environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam said while these “punitive actions against softer targets may be visible, they will remain ineffective if other major sources of air pollution are not addressed.”

According to architect and sustainable design advocate Raza Ali Dada, “Lahore needs a multipronged approach to contend with its environmental woes, including air pollution, which in turn necessitates attention to improved urban planning as well.” Regularizing urban slums that lack any form of waste management could help address problematic practices, such as trash burning, for instance. More efficient urban management can reduce energy consumption and vehicular emissions. Instead, there is a profusion of encroachment into surrounding agricultural areas to create gated communities without much thought to the enormous environmental stress caused by unplanned urban sprawl.

Khan’s stated environmental agenda of “greening” Pakistan has not prevented him from endorsing the multitrillion-rupee Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. Critics fear this project will cause massive displacement, wreak havoc to Pakistan’s longest river’s ecology, and worsen pollution and air quality in Lahore for years to come.

In the absence of comprehensive and concerted efforts to combat air pollution, Lahore, once known as the “city of gardens,” is tragically choking on toxic air. Instead of looking forward to the welcomed reprieve of winter months, Lahore’s 13 million residents now must brace themselves for another bout of smog, which has acquired the status of a “fifth season.”

Syed Mohammad Ali is a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute, and he teaches at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities.

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Methodology

• Pollution Facts
• Policy Impacts

Country Spotlight

Pollution Ranking

4 out of 252 countries

44.73 Particulate Pollution (µg/m 3 )

3.89 Gain in life expectancy if WHO Guideline is met

15 National Standard

Pakistan is the world’s fourth most polluted country. Fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5 ) shortens the average Pakistani resident’s life expectancy by 3.9 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m 3 was met. Some areas of Pakistan fare much worse than average, with air pollution shortening lives by almost 7 years in the country’s most polluted regions like Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Peshawar.

KEY TAKE-AWAYS

• All of Pakistan’s 238 million people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline; 98.3 percent of the population live in areas that exceed the country’s own national air quality standard of 15 µg/m 3 .
• Measured in terms of life expectancy, particulate pollution is the second greatest threat to human health in Pakistan (behind cardiovascular diseases), taking 3.9 years off the life of the average Pakistani. In contrast, child and maternal malnutrition, and maternal and neonatal disorders reduce average life expectancy by 2.7 years.
• Particulate pollution has increased over time. From 1998 to 2021, average annual particulate pollution increased by 49.9 percent, further reducing life expectancy by 1.5 years.
• In the most polluted provinces of the country—Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—165.5 million residents or 69.5 percent of Pakistan’s population are on track to lose between 3.7 to 4.6 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO guideline and between 2.7 to 3.6 years relative to the national standard if the current pollution levels persist.

[1] This data is based on the AQLI 2021 dataset. All annual average PM 2.5 values (measured in micrograms per cubic meter: µg/m³) are population weighted.

[2] We define Karachi as the following six regions: Central Karachi, East Karachi, Korangi Karachi, Malir Karachi, South Karachi and West Karachi.

Related Reports

Pakistan fact sheet.

Pakistan is the world’s fourth most polluted country. Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average Pakistani resident’s life expectancy by 3.9 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m3 was met. Some areas of Pakistan fare much worse than average, with air pollution shortening lives by almost 7 years in the country’s most polluted regions like Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Peshawar.

Related News

In South Asia, Vehicle Exhaust, Agricultural Burning and In-Home Cooking Produce Some of the Most Toxic Air in the World

Pakistan’s Rising Air Pollution Prompts Concern

Pakistan Orders Monday Closure of Schools and Offices in Lahore to Cut Smog

OP-ED: Toxic Air Knows No Boundaries

For media requests regarding our pakistan research, please contact:.

Vicki Ekstrom High

Senior Director, Communications & External Engagement (EPIC)

[email protected]

The AQLI converts air pollution concentrations into their impact on life expectancy. From this, the public and policymakers alike can determine the benefits of air pollution policies in perhaps the most important measure that exists: longer lives.

The aqli estimates the relationship between air pollution and life expectancy, allowing users to view the gain in life expectancy they could experience if their community met world health organization (who) guidelines, national standards or some other standard..

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Air Pollution In Pakistan Causes And Effects And Their Solutions

Air Pollution in Pakistan, its causes and effects are given on this page. Air Pollution is a condition in which air is contaminated with toxic chemical or substances which has a harmful and poisonous effect on human health, plant, and animals too. Air Pollution is the worst form of pollution. The world is facing one of the growing and greatest challenges in the form of air pollution. There are so many causes and effect of air pollution which adversely affects human health and the environment. Air pollution is one of the major issues in most of the countries of the world. Here below we are going to present some of the causes and effects of air pollution along with the solution to avoid this serious issue. so check out Air Pollution In Pakistan Causes And Effects And Their Solutions through this page. It is one of the major Environmental Issues in Pakistan.

Table of Contents

The density of Air Pollution in Pakistan has much increased as well this is necessary to know for all students about Air Pollution in Pakistan Causes and Effects and Their Solution. Moreover, causes of air pollution, effects that generate from air pollution and their solution is mentioned with detail.

Sources of Air Pollution

The major cause of air pollution includes;

• Vehicle Emission
• Power Plant
• Deforestation
• Vehicle Emission: Vehicle Emission is one of the major sources or causes of air pollution for a decade. Fossil Fuel emission reacts with the air and makes some poisonous and harmful compounds and pollutants contaminate the air badly and responsible for various disorders. It is one of the major Air Pollution In Pakistan Causes.
• Power Plants: Undoubtedly power plants play a vital role in contaminating the air with pollutants. Fossil fuel burning comprises major greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and fluorinated gases. Smog is also the result of the combustion of fossil fuel with heat and sunlight.
• Industry: Our industry is also the major contributor to air pollution in more than 80 countries of the world. The industrial sector of a particular country contributes 40% to 50% in polluting the air with toxic gases such as nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide.
• Smoking: Smoking also affects the air in several ways. Tobacco smoking also kills a person who is even a non-smoker. Tobacco smoke is comprised of 40 carcinogens which are considered as the lethal form of air pollution.
• Deforestation: Forests are the natural defender of air pollution in the environment. Because through the process of carbon sequestration forests act as sinks for carbon dioxide which automatically removes carbon dioxide from the air and uncontaminated the air to breathe.

Effects of Air Pollution in Pakistan

There are so many severe and serious effects of air pollution are there on both health and the environment.

• Health Effects: Air pollution may cause some short-term and long-term health effects on human beings. Respiratory and inflammatory disorders are the common diseases of air pollution. It also affects the eyes; nose and throat, even increasing the chances of a heart attack.
• Environmental Effects: Air pollution adversely affects plants and animals and is also responsible for environmental changes in the atmosphere. Global temperature has risen for so many years due to air pollution. It is also responsible for causing the effects of ozone depletion, acid rain, and photochemical smog. Acid rain, haze, eutrophication, wildlife effect, crop and forest damage, global climate change are also the environmental effects of air pollution.

Solution of Air Pollution in Pakistan

Every matter or issue can be cured in this world by taking particular measures and precautions. The selection of air-friendly products such as VOC-free products is helpful in reducing air pollution. Limited consumption of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and gasoline is the key factor to reducing air pollution. Our government should try to support clean air programs and bring awareness regarding air pollution causes and effects. Scientists are also trying to find out the best ways and sources to reduce air pollution by taking specific measures. Reforestation is also the major precaution to reduce air pollution because it stores carbon dioxide from the air which is considered the major pollutant. Hence it’s our obligation to reduce pollution in order to live in a healthy environment. So these are the Air Pollution In Pakistan Causes And Effects And Their Solutions mentioned on this page.

As a dedicated career counselor, my mission is to empower Pakistani students in their educational and career pursuits. By identifying each student's unique strengths and interests. we aim to unlock your potential and align your aspirations with the evolving job market, guiding you towards a fulfilling career.

The crisis of water shortage and pollution in Pakistan: risk to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem

• Trend Editorial
• Published: 11 February 2019
• Volume 26 , pages 10443–10445, ( 2019 )

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Dear Editor,

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortage. In May 2018, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced that by 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the country (Shukla 2018 ). It must be noted that while per capita availability in the 1950s was approximately 5000 m 3 per annum, it has now declined to below 1000 m 3 , which is an internationally recognized threshold of water scarcity (Aziz et al. 2018 ). Currently, only 20% of the country’s population has access to clean drinking water. The remaining 80% populations depends on polluted water primarily contaminated by sewerage (fecal, total coliforms, E. coli colonies), and secondarily by fertilizer, pesticides, and industrial effluents (Daud et al. 2017 ; Sahoutara 2017 ). Such water pollution is responsible for approximately 80% of all diseases and 30% of deaths (Daud et al. 2017 ). In the dried-out pipeline, a single E. coli bacterium can multiply into trillions in just a week (Ebrahim 2017 ), and such pipes are used for the water supply without any treatment. Consuming such polluted waters has not only resulted in the death of several people, but also cause bone and teeth diseases, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis, cancer, and other waterborne diseases (Daud et al. 2017 ). According to World Health Organization (WHO), waterborne diarrheal diseases are responsible for over 2 million deaths annually across the world, with the majority occurring in children under 5 years (WHO 2018 ).

In Pakistan, approximately 60 million people are at risk of being affected by high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water; the largest mass poisoning in history (Guglielmi 2017 ). Arsenic poisoning can cause cancer, restrictive pulmonary disease, skin lesions, cardiovascular problems, diabetes mellitus, gangrene, neurological impairments, and problems in endocrine glands, immunity, liver, kidney, and bladder as well as socio-economic hazards (Rahman et al. 2018 ). Unfortunately, still, no epidemiological data of arsenic poisoning, alternate drinking water, and health interventions are available to the people at risk.

Taking into consideration the drought-hit deaths of approximately 1832 children in the last 4 years (The Newspaper’s Staff Reporter 2018 ), drying lakes (Ali 2015 ), rivers (Channa 2010 ), lowering water table, excessive use of water, lack of storage mechanism, population explosion, and climatic changes warrant serious attention (Kirby 2018 ). Furthermore, the lack of sound national water policy, lack of federal and provincial government’s interest, water conflict between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India (Kirby 2018 ), deforestation, the overwhelming potential threat to the country’s glacier reserves (Nabi et al. 2017 , 2018 ), and the poor water supply will likely negatively affect agriculture, ecology, and local biodiversity. The wildlife has already entered the red zone (Shaikh 2018 ) and can possibly turn into human crisis with the danger of large-scale regional migration of people due to drought-like situation. We have recommended some suggestions that could possibly help the people of Pakistan to get rid of water shortage and pollution, maintain an ecology, improve agriculture, and conserve local biodiversity.

Sound National Water Policy: An effective National Water Policy and management are needed to conserve and enhance water resources, minimize drinking water pollution, and improve the country’s water supply with proper sewerage facilities.

Switch to bottled drinking water: Although this seems to be an expensive option, but keeping in view the higher concentration of arsenic (50 μg/L) (Guglielmi 2017 ), fecal, bacterial, and other contamination in drinking water (Sahoutara 2017 ), it is time to switch to the bottled drinking water. The polluted water can be used for other household activities. Indirectly, this will also bring the attention of public towards water pollution and conservation.

Building dams: Both large- and small-scale dams are needed, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem. Hence, small dams having minimal environmental and social cost should be prioritized whose waters can be used for drinking, agriculture, electricity, and fisheries. It will also help in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and other animals, especially during seasonal migration. Instead of the many dams that are under consideration (Qureshi and Akıntug 2014 ), the authors report that hundreds of small dams can be built in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is rich in both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and can also possibly help them in conservation by providing habitat and protection from flooding.

Reforestation: Annually, Pakistan loses approximately 2.1% of its forests. If this rate continues, Pakistan will run out of forests within the next 50 years (Randhawa 2017 ). Therefore, reforestation and its management in Pakistan are intensely needed and will help in bringing rain, stabilize climate, temperature, pollution, and siltation. It will also help in controlling recurring floods and will provide suitable habitat for the local biodiversity.

Steam-based car washing: There are hundreds of thousand car washing centers in Pakistan. They not only consume a huge amount of freshwater for cleaning, but also pose a great threat to public health, biodiversity, and ecology by polluting the rivers and environment. Switching to steam-based car washing system will not only conserve the freshwater but will also reduce the water and environmental pollution.

Artificial rain: Like China, Pakistan needs a rainmaking network throughout the country. This will help in solving the problems of water shortage, protecting the ecology, reducing natural disaster, and conserving biodiversity. China is developing the world’s largest weather-manipulating system comprising tens of thousands of fuel-burning chambers. This system will increase rainfall over an area of approximately 1.6 million square kilometers (Chen 2018 ). The friendly relation, and with the execution of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan can take advantage to establish this technology in Pakistan.

Trans-boundary level initiatives: Currently, India is damming Pakistani River water which was allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with the help of World Bank (News Desk 2018 ). Constructive bilateral discussions can help solve the problem of water shortage and threats to the rivers dependent biodiversity.

Installation of low-cost water filters: The installation of a large number of low-cost water filters throughout the country and especially in polluted areas can provide clean drinkable water to the poor people who cannot afford the expensive bottled water.

Glaciers conservation: Outside the polar region, Pakistan has the highest numbers of glaciers (> 7200) than any other country (Khan 2017 ). Unfortunately, they are melting faster than any other part of the world to an extent that by the year 2035, the country will have no more glaciers (Dawn 2013 ). Furthermore, with the execution of CPEC, humongous quantity of black carbon (Nabi et al. 2017 ) will be blown by the air to the glaciers that will further accelerate melting. Therefore, a national plan for the management of these glaciers is needed. The impact on glaciers can be minimized by allowing only electric vehicles in the nearby highways, providing solar energy systems to the local inhabitants, reforestation, and control over greenhouse gasses.

Restoring lakes. Pakistan has a total of 60 lakes and most of them are highly polluted. Due to pollution, only in Manchar Lake; Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, 14 fish species have become extinct (Ebrahim 2015 ). Restoring these lakes will provide better habitat for the biodiversity, promote ecotourism and agriculture, and water to the lake-dependent.

Regulating tube-wells drilling: Due to increase in population, demand for water increases. Whether it is domestic use, commercial or agriculture, there has been an unregulated use of tube-wells across the country where people extract as much water as they like. Because of this practice, there has been an exponential rise in the number of tube-wells due to which water table is going down in many parts of the country. Therefore, an implementation of strict policy is needed to regulate the number of tube-wells. Furthermore, in the overexploited region, artificial groundwater recharge might help to improve the water table.

Awareness: In Pakistan, water is free and therefore no attention has been given by the public to its conservation. Both on the print and electronic media, awareness is needed for water conservation. Also, as it is practiced in many countries, it is feasible to come up with a realistic water pricing mechanism to discourage its enormous waste both at household level as well as commercial level.

In summary, water scarcity and pollution are serious overwhelming threats to the world’s sixth populous country, Pakistan. The government needs to pay urgent and serious attention to water conservation and minimizing water pollution to avoid serious consequences in the form of drought, famine, internal migration, and loss of biodiversity.

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Rahman MA, Rahman A, Khan MZK, Renzaho AMN (2018) Human health risks and socio-economic perspectives of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh: a scoping review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 15:335–343

Randhawa S (2017) Pakistan to run out of forests in 50 years at current rate. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/03/21/pakistan-to-run-out-of-forests-in-50-years-at-current-rate/ . Accessed 10 June 2018

Sahoutara S (2017) Karachi’s water unfit for human consumption. The Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1458783/90-water-supplied-karachi-unfit-human-consumption/ . Accessed 9 June 2018

Shaikh AR (2018) Sindh wildlife at risk due to drought. Daily Times. https://dailytimes.com.pk/307939/sindh-wildlife-at-risk-due-to-drought/ . Accessed 22 January 2019

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The Newspaper's Staff Reporter (2018) Over 500 children died in drought-hit Thar this year, Murad told. DAWN. https://www.dawn.com/news/1440059 . Accessed 22 January 2019

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Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

Ghulam Nabi, Suliman Khan & Sunjeet Kumar

University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijingshan District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

Department of Management Studies, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

German Development Institute, Bonn, Germany

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Nabi, G., Ali, M., Khan, S. et al. The crisis of water shortage and pollution in Pakistan: risk to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26 , 10443–10445 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04483-w

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Issue Date : 01 April 2019

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Pollution essay with quotations and outline

 This page has an essay on environmental pollution in Pakistan. The essay is specially written for class 12 and 2nd year students. The quotations have been included in the essay. The outline is also given. The essay can be used by BA students too. It is also good for 10th class.

Pollution essay for 2nd year with quotations

10th class students may not include quotations to keep the essay short. The outline is given for college-level and degree-level students.

Essay on Pollution in English

1. What is pollution

2. Types of Pollution

3. Causes of Pollution

4. Effects of Pollution

5. Our responsibility

6. Measures to control pollution

7. Conclusion

Pollution is the forerunner of perdition - John Trapp

Pollution should never be the prices of prosperity - Al Gore

Pollution- if you don't kill it, it will kill you - Anonymous

The more we pollute the earth the less we deserve to live on earth. - M.M Ildan

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Civil society to tackle plastic pollution

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute,

Ambassador (Retd.) Shafqat Kakakhel,

Dr Dechen Tsering, Director of UNEP’s Asia Pacific office, 

Colleagues and friends,

My deep thanks to the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, or SDPI, for the invitation to talk to you about what we need to do, as a global community, to end plastic pollution.

Allow me to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to families affected by the terrible terror attacks in Peshawar. 

Plastic pollution is drowning and poisoning the planet. Nine billion tonnes of plastic were produced between 1950 and 2017. Of this, seven billion tonnes became waste. Today, 11 million tonnes of plastic flow into our oceans. Plastic pollution is in our waterways, our food, our soil, animals and in us.

This plastic pollution aggravates the triple planetary crisis of climate change , nature and biodiversity loss , and pollution and waste . It hinders the right to a healthy environment. It slows sustainable development. And it hits hardest at the heart of vulnerable communities.

Pakistan is, like every nation on the planet, no stranger to plastic pollution. Pakistan produced 3.9 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2020, over 65 per cent of which was mismanaged. 18 per cent of municipal solid waste produced in Pakistan is plastics. Only 3 per cent of plastic used by the manufacturing industry in Pakistan is recycled material.

This all has obvious consequences. For example, open burning of plastic waste causes air pollution and respiratory impacts, as the residents of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad know all too well. And floods can be aggravated by plastic pollution, as it clogs sewers. 

Friends, we know we have a problem. But the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly , or UNEA 5.2, showed that the international community is getting serious about this problem.

At UNEA 5.2 early last year, nations overcame geopolitical tensions to take the historic step of agreeing on the need for an international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee tasked with creating this agreement must finish its work by 2024. If we can agree and start implementing this deal, it will help drive a movement to a circular plastic economy that could reduce the volume of plastics entering the ocean by over 80 per cent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. We are already on our way, with the committee meeting for the first time in Uruguay in November 2022.

We have seen strong support from Pakistan on this process and on ending plastic pollution in general.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to UNEP, Mrs. SaqlainSyedah, is a current chair of the Asia Pacific Regional Group for UNEP. Pakistan’s engagement, including through the G7, helped in setting up the Bureau for the Inter-Governmental Negotiating Committee. And Pakistan supported the General Assembly resolution on the right to a clean and healthy environment .

Pakistan has shown further leadership in environmental governance. The Ministry of Climate Change imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, import, sale, purchase, storage and usage of polythene bags in Islamabad Capital Territory over three years ago.

In February 2022, Pakistan established the National Plastic Action Partnership to provide platform of action for plastic waste management. A major outcome of this will be the creation and implementation of a circular economy framework to reduce plastic waste and pollution. 

Pakistan has encouraged industries and companies to collect their plastic waste and recycle it in environmentally safe manner on basis of polluter pay principles and extended producer responsibility.

This work is all very welcome. However, now we all want the plastic pollution agreement to help every nation take action to the next level.

The agreement under negotiation must radically transform the plastic economy to a circular one – in so doing setting a blueprint for other sectors. The agreement must be informed by science. Involve all stakeholders and recognize the critical role that industry plays in the solution. Spur solutions for a new economy. Learn from other instruments, but also be ready and willing to embrace innovation in modern multilateralism.

It is still early days, but there are several possible strategic goals we can already start considering. These including reducing the size of the problem. Designing for circularity. Ensuring circularity in practice, including supporting waste pickers. And dealing with the legacy, because we must clean up the mess we have already created as well as not piling more pollution on top of it.

Much is still to be agreed. One thing is clear at this stage, however. It is time for governments, industry and civil society to get behind the agreement – or rather get ahead of it.

We have already seen strong industry and civil society engagement, through stakeholder forums at the Open-Ended Working Group in Dakar and around the first meeting of the committee itself. But let me just speak directly to industry and civil society here in terms of what they can do to help.

We are asking polymer producers to make ambitious commitments to shifting their portfoliostowards circular and renewable polymers. We are asking packaging manufacturers to lead a design revolution to shift to reusable packaging at scale and stop producing packaging that has proved to be impossible to recycle. We are asking brands to join manufactures in the packaging shift and invest to increase uptake of recycled plastic. 

And we are asking the waste sector to realize it will be a big winner with the shift to enhanced circularity if it enhances recycling infrastructure. This is crucial: an additional 20 million metric tons of annual recycling capacity in the next five years would get us close to an average 10 per cent recycled content in new plastic products.

What we have are huge opportunities in innovation, which will be critical to drive change. After all, bans alone won’t get us where we want to be. So, we need to ask ourselves how we can innovate to change the way consumers behave. How we can innovate to build markets for recycled products. How we can innovate to disclose and phase out harmful chemicals used in plastic production. And how we can give dignity to waste pickers as we revamp systems.

Of course, civil society can and must drive action. 

We need civil society to keep the pressure on. Through awareness building. Through generating data. Through driving and informing the government to develop and adopt sustainable policies.

It is critical that civil society speaks for the most disadvantaged: waste sector workers. The informal sector is crucial in waste recycling in Pakistan, but most waste pickers are children. We need to hear all voices and take them into account in the development of waste management systems.

Civil society also plays a crucial role in bringing environmental cases in the public interest. Cases have included the protection of the right to water free from pollution, in salt miners vs. director of industries and mineral development. The obligation to uphold environmental policies to protect citizens right to life, in Sheikh Asim Farooq vs. Federation of Pakistan etc. And the right to a clean and healthy environment, in Asghar Leghari vs. Federation of Pakistan.

Civil society, in Pakistan and across the world, must continue to push government and industry, and participate in negotiating process for the plastic pollution agreement.

UNEP is committed to working with Pakistan on plastic pollution and wider triple crisis, because 2022 showed all too well the vulnerabilities of livelihoods and wellbeing in face of the triple planetary crisis – with the floods, in particular, a massive wake-up call.

UNEP will support Pakistan to develop its National Adaptation Plan. The organization is alsofully behind the Living Indus Initiative, by the Government of Pakistan and the UN – which aims to lead and consolidate initiatives to restore the ecological health of the Indus within Pakistan. This initiative includes an element of plastic pollution, with the Zero Plastic Waste Cities along Indus River aiming to reduce plastic ending up in the river.

Robust environmental governance, meaningful collaboration with civil society, and a shared dedication will not just help to end the menace of plastic pollution – it will deal with the triple planetary crisis and create a brighter future for everyone.

• Civil society
• Plastic pollution

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Climate Concerns: Pakistan’s Environmental Challenges and Policy Shortcomings

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Pakistan’s climate change policy must broaden its scope to address additional factors contributing to climate change, such as deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, urbanization, and industrial emissions.

Pakistan, despite its contribution of only 0.9 percent to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. While the government of Pakistan has made commendable efforts in addressing environmental challenges through its current climate change policy, there are critical areas that require evaluation and improvement. Specifically, issues such as coal-based power generation, importation of used vehicles, operation of traditional brick kilns, rapid urbanization, and agricultural burning significantly contribute to pollution and environmental degradation in the country. To effectively tackle these challenges, a comprehensive policy reorientation at the national level is essential.

Pakistan presently adheres to Euro II and Euro III emission standards for gasoline and diesel fuels, respectively. However, the country has made limited progress toward implementing Euro VI emission standards. Additionally, there are ongoing projects and plans for the development of new coal-fired power plants, both domestically and through foreign investments.

Another pressing concern is the high number of older vehicles in circulation, coupled with the lack of comprehensive vehicle scrappage programs. Traditional brick kilns, employing outdated and inefficient technologies, contribute to air pollution, deforestation, and environmental degradation, too. Furthermore, rapid urbanization in Pakistan poses numerous challenges in terms of infrastructure, housing, transportation, and environmental sustainability. The lack of proper planning and uncontrolled urban development strain resources, lead to inadequate infrastructure, and cause further environmental degradation.

Agricultural burning, particularly in Punjab after the rice and wheat harvesting seasons, adds to the environmental concerns. Farmers resort to burning crop residues, such as rice straw and wheat stubble, due to limited time between harvest and planting seasons, labor constraints, and the absence of affordable alternatives for residue management.

Industrial pollution, waste management, construction and urban development, as well as indoor air pollution caused by inefficient cookstoves and dirty fuels, are also critical priority issues in Pakistan. However, the existing mechanisms for implementation and monitoring of policies in these areas have proven to be ineffective.

Moreover, the initiation of billion-dollar projects like the Billion Tree Tsunami by the government raises skepticism about the credibility of linking such initiatives to the mitigation of effects of climate change and environmental friendliness. This, coupled with Pakistan’s heavy reliance on foreign loans, raises concerns about the country’s economic stability.

Pakistan has sought support from the international community, particularly in light of the damages caused by the floods in 2022. The government appealed for recognition that the costs of climate change should be shared by developed countries, as they are the primary contributors. The reconstruction needs for post-flood recovery are estimated to exceed $16 billion. Efforts led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of Pakistan, and Sherry Rehman, the climate change minister, have resulted in significant support. Generous pledges of over $9 billion were made during an international conference held in Geneva, providing much-needed assistance for reconstruction efforts.

Despite these efforts, there remains a lack of sufficient support and engagement from the government of Pakistan in addressing climate change on the global platform. The level of involvement and clarity regarding the government’s commitment to addressing climate change internationally is unclear. Pakistan needs to proactively engage in international climate forums, intensify diplomatic efforts to secure funding, and strengthen partnerships with other countries to collectively address this global issue.

Another critical shortcoming is the absence of a robust and dedicated institution to coordinate and integrate efforts among various stakeholders. Effective coordination and collaboration between government departments, scientific organizations, civil society, and the private sector are vital for implementing and monitoring climate change policies. Establishing a centralized institute to bridge these gaps, facilitate information sharing, and streamline decision-making processes is crucial for a coherent and impactful climate change strategy.

While the current climate change policy focuses on mitigation and adaptation measures, it must broaden its scope to address additional factors contributing to climate change. These include deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, urbanization, and industrial emissions. The policy should encompass comprehensive strategies promoting sustainable land use, responsible farming practices, urban planning prioritizing green infrastructure, and stringent regulations on industrial emissions.

While the government of Pakistan’s efforts for the rehabilitation of flood victims has shown commendable efforts, critical policy areas require immediate attention and improvement. Enhancing international engagement, establishing an effective coordination institute, and considering additional factors contributing to climate change will result in a more comprehensive and impactful climate change strategy. Prioritizing these aspects is imperative for effectively addressing climate change challenges and safeguarding the environment for future generations.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Environmental Issues — Environmental Probelms in Pakistan: Issues in The Big Cities

Environmental Probelms in Pakistan: Issues in The Big Cities

• Categories: Air Pollution Environmental Issues Pakistan

About this sample

Words: 1274 |

Published: Jan 4, 2019

Words: 1274 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, air pollution: a suffocating crisis, water scarcity: a precious resource under threat, solid waste management, urban heat islands, noise pollution, deforestation and green space loss.

• World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health . World Health Organization.
• UNICEF Pakistan. (2019). WASH in urban Pakistan: Key findings from a national study . UNICEF Pakistan.
• Siddiqui, A. H., & Ahmed, A. (2017). Solid waste management in Karachi . Environmental and Urbanization Asia, 8(2), 153-167.
• Heath, M., Vardoulakis, S., & Chalabi, Z. (2016). The urban heat island: Implications for health in a changing environment . Current Environmental Health Reports, 3(3), 281-292.
• Basner, M., Babisch, W., Davis, A., Brink, M., Clark, C., Janssen, S., & Stansfeld, S. (2014). Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health . The Lancet, 383(9925), 1325-1332.
• Hansen, R., & Pauleit, S. (2014). From multifunctionality to multiple ecosystem services? A conceptual framework for multifunctionality in green infrastructure planning for urban areas . AMBIO, 43(4), 516-529.
• Murtaza, G., Yasmin, A., & Qadir, M. (2017). Urbanization and environmental quality: Insights from Punjab, Pakistan . Sustainability, 9(2), 254.

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Short essay on pollution in Pakistan

The amount of air pollution in Pakistan’s major cities like Lahore and Karachi is 20 times higher than the World Health Organization standards. There are layers of smog, dust and smoke that exist over Karachi. There is also a prominent smell of gasoline that infiltrates air. Islamabad which is the capital city of Pakistan is known to be covered with thick layer smog that actually keeps hidden the view of Margalla hills.

So pollution is very prominent and exists to a threatening level in Pakistan. It comes from cars, factories and other such sources and Pakistanis are daily breathing polluted air. It is unfortunate that only a couple of people actually are aware of the depth of its effects on their and their children’s health. Pollution is known to cause coughing, sore throats and nasal discharge. In extreme cases it can also lead to asthma, tumors, lung damage and death. The first step to avoid pollution is to educate Pakistanis about pollution, its description, its causes, its effects and ways to control it.

Now ways to control pollution is to firstly read up all you can about pollution, the internet is a great source of information. There are many environmental organizations as well that have informative websites on ecology and pollution. Try and find as much as you can online and search for articles that explain pollution in a straightforward manner. Those organizations that are not on the web try and find out if they have pamphlets about pollution and its effects and what citizens can do about it. After gathering all the information and compiling it, try and get it translated in Urdu, make sure there are no copyright issues. Try and get a professional translator if you can. The next step is printing; this would require some funding, if funding is too expensive then try and get donations.

Afterwards distribute the work amongst family and friends, give it to a couple of newspapers, so it can be published and could benefit the masses. Also in order to help schools teach about pollution, you could visit these schools see how children are taught and provide teachers with your work to help them have better material. Another way to help is by writing or developing articles to give to the visitors coming into Pakistan, the topic of these articles would be how a visitor to the country can keep him or herself healthy from the effects of pollution when he visits.

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Creating a website about pollution is also another magnificent way to educate others about the topic. It will be of use to Pakistanis all around the globe, it even may encourage others to do something about pollution and fight it. The website could also comprise of translated pamphlets, information about what people can do about pollution in Pakistan and other such information. You can also include links to other sites that talk about that topic.

Then last step is trying to reach those organizations in Pakistan that are known to be number one polluters. Start a campaign in newspapers and on your websites which tries and makes them accountable for their acts. By exposing them you could motivate them to take up certain measures. But make sure you also take steps to appreciate the industries that are making an effort to keep the environment clean.

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Existing Smog in Lahore, Pakistan: An Alarming Public Health Concern

Ramsha riaz.

1 Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi, Pakistan

Khizar Hamid

Lahore, the second-largest and most polluted city in Pakistan, has been plagued by a heavy blanket of smog recently. The ever-growing urbanization and industrialization have contributed to the worsening air quality of the city. Smog, being hazardous to health, is leading to a rapid sprout in multiple health-related problems, as well as raising concerns about the long-term deleterious effects on public health. The current situation is expected to worsen due to the lack of an active action plan from the government's side and a failure of concerned authorities to take note of the urgency of the situation. Hence, we aim to highlight this pressing issue in the light of previously published articles, to alert the relevant authorities regarding the detrimental consequences smog can have on public health and urge them to take immediate action to avoid further damage.

Pakistan is the most urbanized country in South Asia [ 1 ], and its second-largest city Lahore, growing at a rate of 4% annually [ 2 ], is regarded as the most polluted city in Pakistan. Urban settlements are frequently plagued by smog in Asia, and Lahore is no exception. Following the pattern of last year, Lahore has once again been engulfed by a disturbingly heavy blanket of smog, shrouding the entire city and taking a toll on people’s lives. The exorbitant rise in automobiles, unchecked deforestation, expeditious urbanization, and unabated growth of industries [ 1 - 2 ] have contributed to this alarming situation over the years.

Smog accounts for a rapid sprout in fatal health problems, including exacerbation of asthma, allergies, eye infections, respiratory tract infections, and cardiac pathologies leading to premature death. Sughis et al. reported a concerning finding related to this situation, observing significantly higher levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the school children of Lahore, exposed to high levels of air pollution [ 3 ]. This worrisome observation helps highlight the long-term deleterious effects on the health of the public.

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the provincial EPAs are in charge of monitoring air pollution in Pakistan. In 2010, the Pak-EPA drafted the National Air Quality Standard (NEQS) for ambient air quality [ 2 ]. However, the proposed annual mean levels for the ambient particulate matter, PM 2.5 and PM 10 , were higher than the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which are 10 μg/m 3 and 20 μg/m 3 respectively [ 2 ]. According to data, the levels of the ambient particulate matter reported in Lahore far exceed the recommended values of both WHO guidelines and NEQS guidelines [ 2 , 4 ]. A study conducted in Lahore over a period of 5 years, aiming to compare the level of fine particles with the aforementioned guidelines, concluded that the annual average PM 2.5 of the areas studied was 136.5 ± 34.1 μg/m 3 [ 4 ], which is roughly 14 folds higher than the WHO guidelines. This study also mentions that this level of particulate matter was comparable to one of the most polluted megacities of the world, Delhi, at 143.0 ± 17.8 μg/m 3 [ 4 ]. This elucidates the worsening state of air pollution in the city of Lahore.

Furthermore, the fact that only around 1% of the country’s industrial establishments report their emissions [ 2 ] raises distressing concerns over the neglected air quality of the city and its effect on public health. Children are predominantly susceptible to these detrimental consequences. A study reporting the long-term effects of the great London Smog of 1952 concluded that exposure to smog during the first year of life increased the risk of childhood asthma by 19·87% [ 5 ].

Given the damage that smog can incur, it is imperative that prudent measures be undertaken to improve air quality. Most environmental regulatory organizations fall behind due to the lack of specialized equipment, standardized protocols, trained personnel, and funds [ 2 ]. The government could start by allocating appropriate funds for monitoring and reducing harmful emissions, carrying out nationwide afforestation programs, and switching to renewable resources. Considering the bleak outlook that the current situation portrays, the need of the hour is establishing a stringent action plan to prevent adverse outcomes on public health and reduce the economic burden on the health sector of the country.

Last but not the least, the public needs to be made aware of the possible health issues that can be encountered during this environmental hazard and educated on ways they can protect themselves and prevent exacerbations of pre-existing medical conditions. Public service messages on television, radio, and the Internet, along with the distribution of educational pamphlets and brochures can be a few of the effective steps for ensuring this. 

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Essay on Pollution in Pakistan

Filed Under: Essays Tagged With: Environmentalism

?As the world is incessantly changing, there are many attributes which are leading towards a prosperous life but on the contrary, some problems are spreading of great magnitude; one of them is pollution. Pakistan is one of the developing countries which are sustaining the pollution problem. Traffic congestion is one of the main causes of air pollution. The usage of old transports is ruining the situation. No prevailing laws are strictly implemented, as a result, factories exude their smoke into the air. Simultaneously, wasted poisonous substances are excreted in the water of rivers and lakes which is causing water pollution.

The conditions exacerbate in the urban areas. In some predominant areas, main roads are widened but the status is worst inside the streets where with all the air and water pollution, people throw the garbage on the streets. Pollution in Pakistan is persistently increasing and on the other hand, healthy enviornmental policies are not on the priority list, resulting the spread of the diseases, for instance, asthema and lungs cancer etc. Government should make substantial environmental policies and should implement them rigorously. Awareness campaigns among people should be executed to educate them about their health and climate.

So that in future, we may able to see our country with salubrious environment Pollution is when something is added to the environment that is harmful or poisonous to people, animals and other living things. Smoke in the air from factories is a type of pollution as it is bad for the lungs when breathed in. Sewage in drinking water is another type of pollution, as it can make people unwell because it contains germs and viruses. People living next to a building site where there is too much noise can become sick as they cannot sleep or relax.

The Term Paper on Air Pollution People Effects Ozone

... professors say about one out of three people are sensitive to air pollution. This includes people who work or play outdoors for long ... health, it also affects the health of our environment. 'Air pollution damages water ways, destroys trees, and clouds views in many of ... serious, but, nevertheless harmful. 'It can make your eyes water, irritate your nose, and cause headaches, coughing, sneezing, sore ...

This is called noise pollution. air pollution is caused by harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and very small particles of carbon. Most of the pollution is caused by factories, vehicles and livestock. Today air pollution has become a great threat to human life. People face breathing problems like asthma due to pollution. Water pollution is the presence of harmful materials in water, such as sewage, dissolved metals, waste from farms and factories and crude oil spilled from shipwrecked tankers.

The three main substances that pollute water are nitrates from fertilisers, sewage and detergents. Pollution causes harm to organisms living in water and can also harm people’s health, and can cause problems such as cancer. The harmful noise in the environment, such as the sound of cars in a city, loud speakers, etc. is called noise pollution. Noise pollution can cause ear problems or even permanent deafness, especially to older people. Noise pollution can be defined as the unwanted sound in the atmosphere.

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Pollution In Pakistan Essay

As the world is incessantly changing, there are many attributes which are leading towards a prosperous life but on the contrary, some problems are spreading of great magnitude; one of them is pollution. Pakistan is one of the developing countries which are sustaining the pollution problem. Traffic congestion is one of the main causes of air pollution. The usage of old transports is ruining the situation. No prevailing laws are strictly implemented, as a result, factories exude their smoke into the air.

Simultaneously, wasted poisonous substances are excreted in the water of fivers and lakes which is causing water pollution.

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The conditions exacerbate in the urban areas-Len some predominant areas, main roads are widened but the status is worst inside the streets where with all the air and water pollution, people throw the garbage on the streets. Pollution in Pakistan is persistently increasing and on the other hand, healthy environmental policies are not on the priority list, resulting the spread of the diseases, for instance, asthma and lungs cancer etc.

Government should make substantial environmental policies and should implement them rigorously. Awareness campaigns among people should be executed to educate them about their health and climate.

So that in future, we may able to see our country with salubrious environment Pollution is when something is added to the environment that is harmful or poisonous to people, animals and other living things. Smoke in the air from factories is a type of pollution as it is bad for the lungs when breathed in.

Proficient in: Pollution

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Sewage in drinking water is another type of pollution, as it can make people unwell because it contains germs and viruses. People living next to a building tie where there is too much noise can become sick as they cannot sleep or relax.

This is called noise pollution-Air pollution is caused by harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and very small particles of carbon. Most of the pollution is caused by factories, vehicles and livestock. Today air pollution has become a great threat to human life. People face breathing problems like asthma due to pollution-Water pollution is the presence of harmful materials in water, such as sewage, dissolved metals, asset from farms and factories and crude oil spilled from shipwrecked tankers.

The three main substances that pollute water are nitrates from fertilizers, sewage and detergents. Pollution causes harm to organisms living in water and can also harm people’s health, and can cause problems such as cancer. The harmful noise in the environment, such as the sound of cars in a city, loud speakers, etc. Is called noise pollution. Noise pollution can cause ear problems or even permanent deafness, especially to older people. Noise pollution can be defined as the unwanted sound in the atmosphere.

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• Essay on “Environmental Pollution in Pakistan” for LAT and USAT

• October 10, 2022
• Law Admission Test

Do you want to know about Drugs and Our Society? You will find an Essay on “Environmental Pollution in Pakistan” for LAT and USAT examinations. In the LAT and USAT examinations, you can write essays in Urdu and English. So we have arranged both versions here.

Essay on “Environmental Pollution in Pakistan” (English Version)

Where man has beautified the environment with his scientific progress, he has also damaged the environment, which has had devastating effects on human health. The negative effects on the environment due to human activities are called environmental pollution.

Air and water are the best gift of nature and a great reward for human life. A mixture of different gases, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, carbon dioxide, etc. are included in the air in a certain proportion. Human life without air is not even imagined. But if this ratio cannot be maintained and becomes less or more than a certain amount, it will not be possible for a human being to survive.

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Take the example of carbon monoxide gas emitted from vehicles, if it exceeds a certain amount in the air, the death of a human being occurs immediately. Most of the deaths that occur on the roads today are an indication of this.

Similarly, drinking contaminated water is causing many stomach diseases. The noise of factories, factories, vehicles, and machines has given rise to diseases like blood pressure, depression, and mental restlessness.

As far as air pollution is concerned, the biggest and most important role has been played by the factories and factories in the cities, the harmful smoke coming out of their chimneys, in which the presence of very dangerous chemical components directly affects our health.

It is happening. The smoke coming out of the vehicles, the fire in the agricultural sector, and the dust rising from the roads have destroyed the natural proportion of clean and transparent air. This is affecting our daily life. Due to air pollution in our cities, especially lung diseases, nose and throat problems, asthma, headache, eye irritation, shortness of breath, nausea, skin diseases, etc. are increasing day by day.

Where pollution in the air has had a profound effect on our health, the natural environment has also been adversely affected by it. Or more unseasonal rains have also caused problems like floods and barrenness of lands.

The problem of water pollution is also increasing. Water, which is a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen, in which some more salts are also present in a certain amount, including sodium, potassium, calcium, etc., and which are essential for the human body.

They play an important role in development. Allah has placed a feature in water that it has the ability to dissolve almost all chemical components within itself. This is the reason that if the necessary salts are present in the natural ratio in the water, it is the best gift of nature. It is a great resource.

Eighty percent of diseases in children and adults are caused by water and are transmitted to others. Germs of various diseases enter the human body through contaminated water, including cholera, jaundice, typhoid, dysentery, and liver diseases. Included.

Why and how does water become polluted? We see that there are many factories in our cities or outside the cities from which the discharged water contains very harmful chemicals. These include tanning and dyeing factories, textile factories, and factories manufacturing various chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage from cities.

Some of this water directly reaches our underground aquifers and some enter our rivers through streams and then when we use groundwater through tube wells or rivers for drinking purposes. If we bring in these chemical components, they affect our health badly and cause our ruin. It leaves bad effects on health and causes various diseases. Polluted water also poses a great threat to aquatic life in our rivers.

Another important problem is excessive sound and noise, which is also a part of environmental pollution. This includes loud unpleasant sounds of cars and their pressure horns etc., factories and factories in residential areas, the noise of railway vehicles, etc.

Due to these loud unpleasant sounds and noise, mental restlessness, blood pressure, depression, and sleep. Less or no coming, irritability, quickness of anger, haste in work and restlessness are taking place.

There is a need for a monthly check-up of all noisy vehicles, including rickshaws, and very old or very noisy vehicles should be banned from entering cities. The rickshaws should be locked up in the police station until the silencers are fixed. Action should be taken against the owners of vehicles that emit heavy smoke and stricter punishments should be proposed.

Campaign against pollution should be conducted at the national level. Conferences should be organized and it should be brought to people’s minds that pollution is the biggest humanitarian problem of the present time, for this purpose, mass media, radio, newspaper, TV, and journals, etc. can be taken full advantage of.

Environmental (Ecology) should be introduced as a subject in educational institutions so that future generations can avoid this dangerous end. Also, an anti-pollution movement should be conducted under the supervision of experts on a war footing in the style of a cleaning campaign and every class should be given special attention. But if the students are involved, the problem of pollution can be easily controlled.

Essay on “Environmental Pollution in Pakistan” (UrduVersion)

ماحولیاتی آلودگی.

انسان نے جہاں اپنی سائنسی ترقی سے ماحول کو سنوارا  ہے وہاں ماحول کو خراب بھی کیا ہے جس سے انسانی  صحت پر تباہ کن اثرات مرتب ہوئے  ہیں ۔ انسانی سرگرمیوں کے باعث ماحول پر جو منفی اثرات ظاہر  ہوئے ہیں انہیں ماحولیاتی آلودگی کا نام دیا جاتا ہے۔

 ہوا اور پانی انسانی زندگی کے لیے قدرت کا بہترین  عطیہ اور بہت بڑا انعام ہیں۔مختلف گیسوں کا مرکب ہوا میں آکسیجن ،نائٹروجن اور ہائٹروجن ،کاربن ڈائی آکسائیڈ وغیرہ ایک خاص تناسب سے شامل ہیں ۔ہوا کے بغیر انسانی زندگی کا  تصور بھی نہیں کیا جا سکتا۔لیکن اگر یہ  تناسب برقرار نہ رہ سکے اور ایک خاص مقدار سے  کم یا زیادہ ہو جائے  تو انسان  کے لیے زندہ رہنا  ممکن نہ رہے گا۔

گاڑیوں سے نکلنے  والی   کاربن مونو آسائید گیس کی مثال ہی لے لیجیے  اگر یہ ہوا میں  خاص مقدار  سے بڑھ جائے تو انسان کی موت فوری طور پر واقع ہو جاتی ہے۔آج کل سڑکوں پر ہونے والی اکثر اموات اسی کا شاخسانہ ہیں۔

اسی طرح آلودہ پانی پینے سے  پیٹ کی بہت سی بیماریاں  تیزی سے جنم لے رہی ہیں۔ فیکٹریوں،کارخانوں،گاڑیوں اور مشینوں کے شور نے بلڈ پریشر،ڈپریشن اور ذہنی بےسکونی جیسے امراض کو جنم دیا ہے۔

جہاں تک ہوا میں آلودگی کا تعلق ہے تو اس میں سب سے بڑا اور اہم کردار  شہروں میں  موجود  کارخانوں  اور فیکٹریوں  نے ادا کیا ہے جن کی چمنیوں   سے نکلنے والا مضر صحت دھواں ،جن میں انتہائی خطرناک کیمیائی اجزا کی موجودگی  ہماری صحت پر  براہراست اثرانداز ہو رہی ہے ۔گاڑیوں سے نکلنے والا دھواں،زراعت کے شعبے میں لگی آگ ،سڑکوں سے اٹھنے والے گرد و غبار نے تو صاف و شفاف ہوا کا قدرتی تناسب تباہ و برباد کر کے رکھ دیا ہے۔

جس سے  ہماری روزمرہ زندگی متاثر ہو رہی ہے۔ہوا میں آلودگی کی وجہ سے ہمارے شہروں میں خصوصاً  پھیپھڑوں کی تمام بیماریاںناک اور گلے کی تکالیف ،دمہ،سردرد،آنکھوں کی جلن،سانس پھولنا،متلی،جلدی بیماریاں وغیرہ  روز بروز بڑھتی جا رہی ہیں۔

ہوا میں آلودگی نے جہاں ہماری  صحت پر گہرے اثرات مرتب کیے ہیں وہاں قدرتی ماحول بھی اس سے بری طرح متاثر ہوا ہے۔روزبروزبڑھتی ہوئی گرمی نے جہاں انسان کا جینا دوبھر کیا ہوا ہے  وہاں پانی  کے ٹمپریچر   نے،موسموں میں تبدیلی نے ضرورت سے کم یا زیادہ بے موسمی بارشیں سیلاب اور زمینوں کے بنجر پن جیسے مسائل سے بھی دوچار کیا ہے۔

پانی میں آلودگی کا مسئلہ بھی شدت اختیار کرتا جا رہا ہے۔پانی جو کہ آکسیجن اور ہائیڈروجن کا مرکب ہے جس میں کچھ مزید نمکیات بھی ایک خاص مقدار میں موجود ہوتے ہیں جن میں سوڈیم،پوٹاشیم،کیلشیم وغیرہ شامل ہیں اور جو انسانی جسم کی نشونما میں اہم کردار ادا کرتے ہیں ۔پانی میں اللہ تعالیؑ ْ نے ایک خصوصیت رکھی ہے کہ یہ تقریباً تمام کیمیائی اجزا کو اپنے اندر احل کرنے کی صلاحیت رکھتا ہے ۔

یہی وجہ ہے کہ پانی میں اگر ضروری نمکیات قدرتی تناسب میں موجود ہیں تو قدرت کا بہترین عطیہ ہیں۔لیکن اگر ان نمکیات کی مقدار  ایک خاص تناسب سے کم یا بڑھ جائے  یا مضر صحت کیمیائی اجزا پانی میں شامل ہو جائیں تو یہ بیماریوں کا بہت بڑاذریعہ ہے۔ بچوں اور بڑوں میں اسی فیصد بیماریاں پانی کے ذریعے  ہی پیدا ہوتی ہیں اور دوسروں میں منتقل ہوتی ہیں ۔آلودگی  پانی کے ذریعے مختلف بیماریوں کے جراثیم  انسانی جسم میں داخل ہو جاتے ہیں۔جن میں ہیضہ،یرقان،ٹائیفائیڈ،پیچش اور جگر کی بیماریاں شامل ہیں۔

پانی آلودہ کیوں  اور کیسے  ہو جاتا   ہے ۔ ہم دیکھتے ہیں کہ ہمارے شہروں میں یاشہروں سے باہر بہت سے ایسے کارخانے ہیں  جن سے خارج ہونے والے  پانی میں نہایت  مضر صحت کیمیائی مادے شامل ہوتے  ہیں ۔ ان میں چمڑے کو صاف کرنے اور  رنگنے کے کارخانے،ٹیکسٹائل کی فیکٹریاں، مختلف کیمیکلز تیار کرنے کے کارخانے،کھاد فرٹیلائزر کیڑے مار ادویات اور شہروں سے سیورج کا گندہ  پانی شامل ہیں۔

اس پانی کا کچھ حصہ تو براہ راست ہمارے زیر  زمین آبی  ذخائر میں   پہنچ جاتا  ہے اور کچھ ندی   نالوں کے ذریعے ہمارے دریاوٗں  میں شامل ہو جاتا ہے اور پھر جب ہم زیر زمین پانی کو ٹیوب ویلوں  کے ذریعے یا دریاوٗں کے پانی کو پینے کے استعمال میں لاتے ہیں  تو یہی کیمیائی اجزا ہماری  صحت پر بری طرح اثر  انداز ہو کر ہماری بربادی کا سبب بنتے ہیں ۔

اسی  پانی کاکچھ حصہ ہم کاشتکاری کے لیے بھی استعمال کرتے ہیں  جو پھر مختلف اجناس ،سبزیوں وغیرہ پر بھی اثر انداز ہوتا ہے اور ہمارے صحت پر برے  اثرات چھوڑتا ہے اور مختلف بیماریوں  کا سبب بنتا ہے ۔ آلودہ پانی  ہمارے   دریاوٗں میں موجود آبی جانوروں کے لیے  بھی زبردست خطرے کا باعث ہے۔

ایک اور اہم مسئلہ  بہت زیادہ تیز آواز اور شور کا ہے یہ بھی ماحولیاتی آلودگی  ہی کا حصہ ہے۔ اس میں گاڑیوں اور ان میں لگے پریشر ہارن وغیرہ کی تیز ناگوار آوازیں رہائشی علاقوں میں لگی  فیکٹریاں اور کارخانے ریل گاڑیوں کا شور وغیرہ شامل ہیں۔ان تیز ناگوار قسم کی  آوازوں اور شور کی وجہ سے ذہنی بے سکونی بلڈ پریشر،ڈپریشن،نیند کا کم یا نہ آنا،چڑچڑاپن ، غصے کا جلدی آنا، کام میں جلدی کا اظہار اور طبیعت کی بے چینی جیسے امراض جنم لے رہے ہیں۔

ضرورت اس امر کی ہے کہ رکشوں سمیت تمام شور دینے والی گاڑیوں کا ماہانہ چیک اپ کروایا جائے اور بہت پرانی یا بہت زیادہ شور دینے والی گاڑیوں  کا  شہروں میں داخلہ ممنوع قرار دیا جائے۔ رکشوں کے سائلنسر ٹھیک کروانے تک انہیں تھانے میں بند کیا جائے بہت زیادہ دھواں دینے والی  گاڑیوں کے مالکان کے خلاف قانون کے تحت کاروائی کی جائے اور سخت سے سخت سزائیں تجویز کی جائیں۔

آلودگی کے خلاف قومی سطح  پر مہم چلائی جائے ۔ کانفرنسیں منعقد کی جائیں اور لوگوں کے ذہنوں میں یہ بات لائی جائے کہ آلودگی دور حاضر کا سب سے بڑا انسانیت کش مسئلہ ہے اس مقصد کے لیے ابلاغ عامہ ،ریڈیو،اخبار،ٹی وی اور جرائد وغیرہ سے بھر پور فائدہ اٹھایا جا سکتا ہے۔

تعلیمی اداروں میں ماحولیاتی      (ایکالوجی)کو بطور مضمون متعارف کرایا جائے تا کہ آئندو نسلیں اس خطرناک انجام سے بچ سکیں۔بھل صفائی مہم کی طرز پر جنگی بنیادوں پر ماہرین کی زیر نگرانی ( اینٹی پولیوشن تحریک ) چلائی جائے اور ہر طبقے کو خاص طور پر طلبہ کو شریک کار کر لیا جائے تو آلودگی کے مسئلے پر آسانی کے ساتھ قابو پایا جا سکتا ہے

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