The caretaker government of Punjab has taken a groundbreaking initiative on Saturday using a novel approach to curb hazardous levels of smog engulfing Lahore.
This unprecedented move involved dispatching planes equipped with cloud seeding equipment over ten areas of the city for inducing artificial rain.
Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi told media that the innovative technique was made possible through the collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
A team from the UAE, accompanied by two specialized planes, arrived approximately 10 to 12 days ago to execute the operation. Using 48 flares, the team induced artificial rain, and Naqvi expressed anticipation, stating that the results of this intervention would be known by tonight.
The UAE has been increasingly employing cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain or blue-skying, as a weather modification technique.
The process involves releasing common salt or a mixture of different salts into clouds, stimulating condensation and ultimately resulting in rain. This method has been deployed in various countries, including the United States, China, and India.
Air pollution in Pakistan has escalated in recent years due to a combination of factors, including low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burning, and colder winter temperatures, leading to the formation of stagnant clouds of smog. Lahore, with a population exceeding 11 million, bears the brunt of this toxic smog during the winter season.
On Saturday, the levels of PM2.5 pollutants, cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs, were measured as hazardous in Lahore—exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) danger limits by more than 66 times.
Previous governments have implemented various strategies to mitigate air pollution in Lahore, such as spraying water on roads and enforcing weekend shutdowns of schools, factories, and markets.
However, these measures have yielded little to no success.
When questioned about a long-term strategy to combat smog, Chief Minister Naqvi emphasized the need for comprehensive studies to formulate an effective plan for sustained improvement in air quality.
