Smogged city

As October begins, winter hasn't even fully arrived yet the familiar heavy grey blanket of toxic smog has already returned to our skies. Just this week air monitoring stations across Lahore recorded hazardous AQI levels exceeding 250 to 300 once again pushing our city into the top rankings of the world's most polluted urban centres. What makes this situation truly frustrating is how predictable it has become. Every single year the air quality drops, respiratory illnesses spike and the public is simply advised to wear masks or stay indoors. But staying indoors is not a long-term solution for daily wage workers, students or families trying to go about their lives. Temporary measures like short-term school closures or token crackdowns on crop burning are not the solution. The root causes are vehicular emissions, industrial pollutants, loss of urban green cover and poor waste management that require strict action and the government should look for modern public transport investment, and genuine green policy initiatives. Clean air is a basic human right not a seasonal luxury. I urge the provincial government and environmental protection authorities to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves before another winter compromises the health of millions. Rutab Naseer Lahore