LAHOR E: Smog occurs before the winter season starts, but air pollution is all year round which was discussed by participants in a seminar held by WWFPakistan.

The primary focus of the seminar was to talk about crop residue burning and to raise a consensus between the public and the private sector on roles, responsibilities and actions that are needed to discourage this.

Hammad Nagi Khan, director general of the WWF-Pakistan, said thataccordingto air quality monitor Air Visual, Lahore is among the 10 most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality.

`The factors of air pollution are many, including transportation and the low grade fuel used by vehicles, treatment of solid waste (open burning), small industries and the cheap fuel they use forLAHOR E: Smog occurs before the winter season starts, but air pollution is all year round which was discussed by participants in a seminar held by WWFPakistan.

The primary focus of the seminar was to talk about crop residue burning and to raise a consensus between the public and the private sector on roles, responsibilities and actions that are needed to discourage this.

Hammad Nagi Khan, director general of the WWF-Pakistan, said thataccordingto air quality monitor Air Visual, Lahore is among the 10 most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality.

`The factors of air pollution are many, including transportation and the low grade fuel used by vehicles, treatment of solid waste (open burning), small industries and the cheap fuel they use forpower such as plastic and rubber, etc.

He said that it was a misconception that pollution only occurred in winter when the wind direction changed and brought pollutants from neighbouring countries, because basically air pollution happened all year long.

`It makes no sense in pointing fingers at others when scientific evidence is showing us how much at fault we ourselves are,` he said.

However, he specified that regulatory controls were integral in solving the problem, and intervention by the government was necessary.

Rabia Sultan, former president of the Farmers` Association of Pakistan, said that it must be first addressed as to why the farmers were in fact resorting to burning the stubble. She said there were many compulsions, mostly centered around the fact that it was most convenient and least expensive way to do so.

`There is a short windowpower such as plastic and rubber, etc.

He said that it was a misconception that pollution only occurred in winter when the wind direction changed and brought pollutants from neighbouring countries, because basically air pollution happened all year long.

`It makes no sense in pointing fingers at others when scientific evidence is showing us how much at fault we ourselves are,` he said.

However, he specified that regulatory controls were integral in solving the problem, and intervention by the government was necessary.

Rabia Sultan, former president of the Farmers` Association of Pakistan, said that it must be first addressed as to why the farmers were in fact resorting to burning the stubble. She said there were many compulsions, mostly centered around the fact that it was most convenient and least expensive way to do so.

`There is a short windowbetween harvesting rice and sowing wheat, and the stubble needs to be rid of between this,` she said. `Every day that is delayed in doing so means there is a loss for the farmer. Another reason is that the mechanized harvesters that are used leave behind a lot of stubble, so maybe harvesters that shave closely to the earth should be used.

She added that there was no work being done regarding residue straw mulching. `Paddy stubble does not have that much value, as it can`t be turned into chaff.

In any case, when the stubble is burnt the top soil is spoiled as all the nutrients are burnt with it.

Changing existing technology, filling the gaps in the supply chain, creating a market for rice straw and building operational biomass plants could help solve this problem and government intervention would be necessary for this.

Rafay Alam, environmentallawyer, explained the concept of smog occurring because of temperature inversion (when warm air is trapped between two layers of cold air). He said crop burning must be controlled by introducing long-term and multi-sectoral solutions that must carry on regardless of the politicalcycle.

`The vision of improving air quality must be what unites the policymakers,` he said. Punjab, in general, is extremely prone to the hazards of smog, he added.

However, he also reiterated the need to replace current fuel standards with world quality standards. `80RON petrol is the dirtiest in the world,` he said.

RON or Research Octane Number measures fuel standards. The RON of a Super gasoline must be at least 95 and at least 98 for a Super Plus gasoline.

Tanvir Jabar, director general of the Punjab Environment Protection Department, spoke about the sources of smog (brick kilns, industries, agriculture andtransportation sector), including the role of agriculture/crop residue burningin creatingit.

Dr Ehsan Ali, director of the Punjab Bio Energy Institute, presented a feasibility analysis of the alternative use of crop residue, such as rice husk, in the production of energy, According to him, bio-energy was of important for the environment as it was a step towards materialising the intended nationally determined contribution that Pakistan has submitted in accordance with the Paris agreement.

Yasir Idress, operational manager of the Punjab Bio Energy Company, discussed the prospects of developing a sustainable supply chain of crop residue. Ali Raza, a food technologist, also spoke about the plausible value addition initiatives that can be taken for rice residue. The seminar was attended by corporate partners, journalists, academia, industry practitioners and the farming community from across Pakistan.