Expert tips to combat smog health hazards

Experts have demanded the government enforce health and environmental emergency immediately to cope with the challenges emerging after the smog continue to blanket Punjab.

Urging the government to take proper steps to stem the smog spread, experts have put forward dos and don’ts.

According to noted pulmonologist Prof Dr Irfan Malik, like senior citizens, people having issues related to heart, diabetes, asthma and other respiratory issues are vulnerable in such a hazardous situation.

These people must refrain from going outdoors, he said, adding that if necessary, they must adopt precautionary measures.

Heart patients must carry nitroglycerin while asthma must carry their inhalers, Prof Malik stressed.

He suggested wearing masks, preferably a respirator or N95/N99 when going outside.

They suggested keeping the hydrate body and going for indoor workout activities.

He urged the use of glasses to prevent eyes from irritation and shun the use of lenses in such a situation.

He stressed keeping houses clean with wet cloths instead of dusters and disposing of garbage instead of garbage burning.

He advocated for houseplants like snake, spider and rubber plants as according to him, these are air purifiers.

Govt should introduce cost-effective e-cars and install anti-smog towers, he said, and advocated for replicating China’s green wall project too.

As he urged increasing the usage of school buses instead of private vehicles for transporting children, he stressed the government should make sure that the school admin plays its due part.

He stressed the PHA has its role to play in effort to curb smog. Punjab has been facing extreme air quality issues. Some regions in Punjab report air pollution 74 times over the World Health Organization's safe limit. The government should make sure the existing housing societies follow the greenbelt and green-land regulations, he maintained.

Lahore’s AQI levels have placed it among the most polluted cities globally and this spike has been attributed to a mix of industrial emissions, vehicle pollution, crop burning, and seasonal weather conditions.

The Punjab government responded by temporarily closing educational institutes in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and other affected districts, with classes shifting to online formats and restrictions on outdoor activities and early business closures.

However, it has been under fire for doing little to cope with a big challenge. The Lahore High Court (LHC) while taking up a years-old set of petitions expressed dissatisfaction with the government's preventive measures in Punjab.

As the government’s ‘directionless measures’ added to smog sufferings, Pakistan Medical Association President Prof Ashraf Nizami raised concerns over the situation.

He called for imposing health and environmental emergency to overcome the smog crisis. He suggested short and long-term steps to cope with the challenge.

 “The situation demands health and environmental emergency. The government must go for artificial rains immediately,” he added.

He laid stress on the use of a high protein diet like eggs, fish, and pulses, and taking multiple fluids to keep the body hydrated.  Gargling before going to bed is a must in such a situation, he stressed.