An Asian city appears in 'season 5'

Lahore, Pakistan, is always alive with life at night. But this winter's record-breaking air pollution has disrupted the city's rhythm.

In the bustling city of Lahore, with its 14 million people, rich history and magnificent architecture, evenings always have a special meaning. Markets bustle with shoppers, families gather in bustling 'food streets'. And in the final months of the year, wedding season reaches its peak with lavish ceremonies that last late into the night.

But as a thick, oppressive layer of smog obscured the skyline in Lahore this month, the Pakistani government imposed restrictions that changed the city's rhythm of life, according to the New York Times.

Markets and wedding halls must close by 8pm. Outdoor dining is banned. Parks, zoos, historical sites and museums are closed. Full weekend lockdowns will also be in place for the next few days – reminiscent of Covid-era restrictions.

'People here usually go shopping after 4-5pm when the men get off work,' said Chaudhry Kabir Ahmed, head of the Ichhra Market Traders Association in Lahore. 'Now the government has asked us to close by 8pm. It is difficult to change people's habits so quickly. If we stay open late, we get raided by the authorities and fined heavily.'

State of emergency

Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab, is regularly listed as one of the world's most polluted cities. According to IQAir, a Swiss climate monitoring group, Lahore has hit record pollution levels in recent weeks, with the air quality index (AQI) reaching 1,100 on November 14. An AQI above 150 is considered 'unhealthy' and above 300 is considered 'hazardous'.

Punjab province borders northern India, and both regions face alarming levels of air pollution. On November 18, the AQI in the Indian capital New Delhi reached 1,785, prompting the city's chief minister to declare a 'health emergency'.

In Lahore, airborne levels of fine particulate matter — particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream — have recently been more than 100 times higher than the WHO's safe level, said Christi Chester Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir.

Even outside the usual smog season, which lasts from November to January, the city's air is polluted. Lahore hasn't had a single day rated 'good air quality' since July 2021, said Chester Schroeder.

On November 15, the provincial government declared air pollution a health crisis, saying nearly 2 million people had fallen ill. Hospitals have extended working hours, increased supplies of respiratory medicines and equipped ambulances with breathing support equipment, said Marriyum Aurangzeb, the chief minister of Punjab province.

UNICEF recently issued a dire warning about the health risks to more than 11 million children under the age of five in the province. Emergency rooms in Lahore are packed with patients – many of them children – suffering from breathing difficulties, sore throats, persistent coughs and eye irritation.

Sumaira, 25, holds her child at Services Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo: New York Times).

'My one-month-old baby is having difficulty breathing ,' said Sumaira, 25, as she held her baby at the Services Hospital. 'I don't know the exact cause, but I see countless children with similar problems. I can only pray for better weather.'

Meanwhile, Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer in Lahore and an air quality expert, has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to take immediate action. Citing scientific studies, Alam said about 45 percent of Lahore's year-round air pollution comes from vehicle emissions, mainly due to the use of low-quality fuel . Another 40 percent comes from industrial emissions and energy production.

Solutions to these problems 'are not cheap or quick', he said.

But experts say the task of improving air quality cannot be left to one country in the region alone. In 1998, South Asian countries, including Pakistan and India, signed the Malé Declaration to cooperate on tackling transboundary air pollution.

However, the effectiveness of this agreement has been limited by a lack of funding and political will. The issue has come under renewed attention after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz recently called for 'fog diplomacy' with India.

"Season 5"

For most residents of Lahore, the smog has become a cruel reality. The months of toxic air are now known as the 'fifth season'.

In a cramped house on the outskirts of Lahore, just 11km from the Indian border, a family of 10 endures suffocating air seeping through cracked windows and doors.

'The air outside is thick and pungent, but you can't avoid it inside,' said Amna Bibi, 60, the eldest of the family. She has lived in Lahore for more than two decades and has seen the smog worsen every winter.

'Every year it gets harder to breathe,' she lamented.

Schools in Lahore closed due to air pollution. (Photo: New York Times).

As schools across the city closed due to toxic air, children were confined to their homes or played in the streets, even as many suffered from illnesses such as sore throats.

Families like Bibi's in low-income neighborhoods cannot afford protective measures, such as air purifiers, that are taken for granted among wealthier residents.

Meanwhile, some believe the smog is a sign of divine anger. At a prayer session last week, hundreds of thousands of Muslims across Punjab province performed a special prayer to pray for rain to reduce pollution.

'Floods, fog, earthquakes - all are signs of God's wrath against us. It is time to pray for forgiveness,' said Syed Hashim, 23, a university student who attended the prayer.

In addition to vehicle and industrial emissions, stubble burning has long been identified as a major cause of Lahore's toxic winter air. But many farmers say they are being unfairly blamed.

'Why waste time and money blaming us? Why not focus on the bigger sources of pollution, like traffic and industry?' asked Ghulam Mustafa, 41, a farmer on the outskirts of Lahore. 'On the contrary, the smog has damaged the quality of our crops, and now we have to spend more money on expensive chemicals to spray them.'

For Maskeen Butt, a 29-year-old software engineer, the smog and government-imposed restrictions have made planning his mid-December wedding difficult.

'Lahore's nightlife is part of the wedding experience - shopping for wedding dresses, jewellery and decorations, as well as handing out invitations, until late at night ,' he said. 'Now, with shops forced to close early, people like me who work all day are finding it almost impossible to make ends meet.'

The fact that wedding halls had to close early also added to Butt's frustration. ' Guests never arrive early. It makes things feel rushed and much less festive than my wedding should be ,' he said.