The “toxic” air that we are breathing is now transcending borders and affecting many lives. Smog is a common cause for concern, as both Indians and Pakistanis are severely affected. They are breathing the same toxic air, which is causing severe health issues. The situation is only getting worse with each passing year. Delhi ranks ahead of Lahore even as both cities top the list of the most-polluted cities of the world.

In response to the alarming situation, the Delhi government reportedly considered inducing artificial rain to counter smog, but it could not bring it to fruition. The Aam Aadmi Party government also derived an odd-even formula for vehicles in order to reduce pollution levels, but there was no data to prove the efficacy of the experiment.

IIT Kanpur undertook an experiment last year, wherein a Cessna aircraft was flown  with cloud-seeding attachments. “These attachments were procured from a manufacturer in the US and the modifications in the aircraft were approved by the manufacturers of Cessna and the DGCA. The test flight spread the agents using a flare as is standard practice,” the institute said in a press release.

Similarly, going without rain for long, Lahore, too, saw its air quality index (AQI) touching the dangerous level of 450 on December 16, 2023. It was 30 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum average daily exposure. As a result, the Punjab government had to declare a ‘smog emergency’ in Lahore and nearby districts. Schools were shut, markets closed and face masks were made mandatory. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the government made arrangements to induce artificial rain in Lahore to provide temporary relief from the hazardous effects of poor air quality. 

The Punjab government used cloud seeding to create rain in 10 locations around Lahore using a small Cessna plane with the UAE’s cooperation. Citizens experienced shower-like rain in different locations. Environment Minister in Punjab, Bilal Afzal, claimed that cloud seeding and artificial rain was introduced for the first time and it was a success. He, however, admitted that the rainfall was minimal and scanty. Although the air quality of Lahore improved significantly and the AQI dropped to 150, the minister said that the benefits of this rain were short-lived as the pollution was back to square one after two to three days. 

Hazardous air quality is not limited to Lahore. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution estimates that every year, air pollution steals 9 million lives, 2 per cent of the GDP and 7 per cent of health care costs, globally. It reported that 1.28 lakh Pakistanis die annually from air pollution-related illnesses.

An air quality life index study suggests that since 1998, average annual particulate pollution has increased by 20 per cent, cutting 0.9 years from the lives of an average Pakistani over these years. The most-polluted areas of the country are in northeast Punjab and northern Sindh, where residents would gain over five years of life if particulate pollution could be permanently reduced, according to WHO guidelines.

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