LAHORE: Due to the increasing pollution levels in Lahore, the Punjab administration has started preparations to carry out artificial rain in the provincial capital later this month. This will be Pakistan’s first experiment of its kind.
The Provincial Caretaker Environment Minister Bilal Afzal and Caretaker Education Minister Mansoor Qadir chaired a meeting discussing strategies for evaluating short-, medium-, and long-term steps to combat smog in the city.
Secretary Environment Rashid Kamalur Rehman, representatives from SPARCO, the Environment Protection Department, and several universities, who explored options for controlling smog, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, they decided that preparations should be initiated for artificial rain around November 28 or 29, taking advantage of potential cloudy weather conditions.
The provincial minister stressed forming a team and working group to oversee the implementation of artificial rain, including considerations for providing aircraft for this purpose.
Bilal Afzal highlighted the necessity of clouds for successful artificial rain, emphasizing that the working group must thoroughly examine all aspects of the process. The working group’s final recommendations will be submitted to the chief minister for approval.
Several districts in Punjab, including Lahore, Jhang, Nankana, Bahawalnagar, Hafizabad, Khanewal, and Sheikhupura, are engulfed with severe air pollution.
Measures to curb smog in Lahore
In response to the smog crisis, the Lahore High Court has issued directives to close all schools and colleges on November 18 in affected districts.
Additionally, the court has urged the government to implement a work-from-home policy for two days a week.
