Sheikhupura chokes on industrial smoke

The problem becomes particularly distressing during summer, when residents sleep on rooftops or sit outdoors to escape the heat. Vehicles, clothes, rooftops and the exterior walls of houses are often covered with a layer of ash and black particles by morning.

Senior Medical Officer at the Mothers and Children Complex, District Headquarters Hospital Sheikhupura, Dr Gulfam Mubarak Virk, said prolonged exposure to smoke, ash and fine particulate matter could pose serious health risks, particularly to children and elderly people.

He said fine particles could enter the lungs through breathing and contribute to symptoms including coughing, throat irritation, eye irritation, shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing. "Long-term exposure to polluted air could increase the risk of asthma, bronchitis, chronic respiratory problems, reduced lung function and cardiovascular diseases," he added.

"Clean air is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right of every human being," Dr Gulfam said, warning that failure to address air pollution could leave future generations paying a heavy price in terms of their health. He said children were particularly vulnerable because their lungs were still developing.

Prolonged exposure to polluted air could contribute to respiratory problems, recurrent coughing, wheezing, aggravated asthma and respiratory infections, while elderly people, pregnant women and those with existing heart and lung conditions could also be more vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Omer Hayat Khan, a resident of E-Community Society on Lahore Road and general secretary of the E-Community Welfare Society, alleged that numerous paper mills, chemical units and glass factories surrounding residential areas operated around the clock and contributed to persistent pollution.

He claimed that residents had repeatedly approached the district administration and Environment Protection Department but had seen little effective action against the industrial units. Khan further alleged that some factories used prohibited fuels, including waste materials, plastic and rubber, particularly at night.

He claimed thick black smoke and ash sometimes spread across surrounding neighbourhoods, making breathing difficult and covering houses and other surfaces with black particles. He also alleged that environmental inspections were conducted infrequently and that some factories were subjected only to nominal fines.

These allegations could not independently be verified. Residents have called for scientific testing of industrial emissions and fuels being used by factories. They said regular monitoring of pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide was essential to determine the scale and nature of pollution.

The Punjab Environment Protection Department has established Punjab Environmental Quality Standards governing industrial emissions and ambient air quality. The department has also maintained that effective monitoring of industrial units is necessary to protect air quality and public health.as.

Residents, however, questioned the effectiveness of monitoring in areas where factories operate close to residential communities and urged authorities to take preventive measures ahead of the smog season.

Attempts were made to obtain the position of Deputy Commissioner Sheikhupura Rana Adeel Tasawwur on the residents' complaints and concerns over air pollution and the anticipated smog situation, but he was not available for comments.