Not quite
The winter haze did not quite carry the relief it traditionally brings to Punjab – despite its hazards – coming as it does on the heels of the province’s notorious long, hard summer. Firstly, it came too soon. The summer’s tail has been wagging a little longer than usual for the last couple of years; and this was barely the beginning of autumn, let alone summer. Secondly, this was not fog. This was smog; smoke, industrial waste, toxins, what not. And if the met department is right, which is more often than not not the case, then it’s likely to last all the way till December, which is when the real fog usually engulfs the province.
Since we’re hardly the first third world, Deep South economy to witness such a phenomenon, it is not really surprising. Neither is the Punjab government’s iron-willed refusal to take it seriously till now. But the official reaction is cause for concern. Even now, as a series of coal-powered projects, not to mention emissions associated with the CPEC largesse, are about to take off, the government seems treating the issue as a formality at best. This is an issue that affects people directly. It should be handled urgently before it becomes a major health problem.
A few official representatives have already tried to spin the matter in a very unhealthy fashion, which is unfortunate. Those expressing concern about an increasingly polluted environment aren’t necessarily advocating a manufacturing slowdown. Quite to the contrary, they are pleading for intense investment into environment friendly production so the manufacturing base can be expanded, eventually impacting not just the environment but also the economy to the upside. Sadly, though, these are long-term features, and don’t feature too high on the PML-N’s list of priorities. The ruling party is fond of mega projects, glitter and glamour, with immediate vote-bagging results. That they add to environmental agony is a second-shelf matter.
