Adviser To Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin has said that smog was one of the serious environmental issues the world was saving, and that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lahore was much better than that of New Delhi.
While inspecting the air quality monitoring station installed at the Meteorology Department, Amin said that certain measures to deal with the problem of smog had been taken, including stopping crop stubble burning.
The adviser termed a news about the AQI of Lahore being higher at the international level as baseless. He stated that the air quality in Lahore was much better than the air quality in the Indian capital.
He said that the government aimed to increase the monitoring capacity of the index in order to ascertain facts and figures regarding climate change.
He added that two smog monitoring units had been installed in Lahore and currently, increasing resources to address the issue was being deliberated upon. He stated, “With the help of the World Bank the government was launching a programme to address the air quality issue.”
Amin stated that in India, smog was increasing but the Pakistani government had taken measures to reduce the smog, adding that Lahore would be made ‘smog free’.
The adviser also stated that the government was launching electric rickshaws with the held of the World Bank.
He further apprised media of the government’s plans to introduce electric cars in the country to counter environmental pollution, adding that further ‘green energy projects’ would also be introduced.
Amin stated that strict action would be taken by the government against those who were causing environmental pollution. He added that the government of Punjab had initiated a ‘smog awareness’ campaign across the province wherein face masks and pamphlets had been distributed among the public.
Currently, New Delhi ranks as the most polluted city in the world with an AQI of 289, while the air quality in Lahore has improved somewhat, with the city moving to the fifth place today.
Last week, Lahore's Air Quality Index had registered 484 on Wednesday morning, making it the most polluted city in the world. Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Wazir had stated that the reports of poor air quality were fake and the reason for the pollution was the increased number of vehicles in the city due to Azadi March.