KARACHI: Dr Ghulam Hassan Abbasi, Chairman of the Department of Environmental Sciences, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, said that smog, a mixture of smoke and fog in the air, has overtaken and significantly decreased the air quality of many major metropolises such as Karachi.
"From October to December, many cities in Pakistan have been engulfed in smog for the past few years. This time, the joining process has started from the first of November and will continue till the rains. Use caution when travelling on roads, especially motorways - smog is harmful to humans and animals, tourism, and other parts of the economy. Smog can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat or worsen existing heart and lung problems. Factors driving smog production include overpopulation, industrialization, burning of fossils and agricultural inputs. Smog has become a global problem, and individual and collective efforts are needed to overcome this threat", he detailed in his statement.
"It takes time for all stakeholders, including academics, researchers, policymakers, industrialists, and farmers to come together on a platform to solve this catastrophe plaguing our environment and society. But we collectively need to take steps to prevent this disaster from happening again." urged Dr Ghulam.
He suggested that a media campaign should be launched to create public awareness about the sources of pollution that cause smog. There is a need to ban deforestation and promote tree grafting across the country. The prevalence of smog can also be reduced by social initiatives such as social seminars and public education that promote behavioural change.
Thus, reducing the incidence of smog requires the joint efforts of government agencies and individual citizens of Pakistan.