NAME

MEESUM HUSSAIN

YEAR THIRD YEAR

BATCH 2012-2013

TOPIC AIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE

AIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING -1

Table of contentsPOLLUTION...................................................................................1AIR POLLUTION...........................................................................1AIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE.....................................................1CAUSES OFAIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE...............................2LAHORE SMOG.............................................................................4FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT LAHORE..................................5RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS..........................5

POLLUTIONPollution can be defined as the interference of the foreign substances into the environment that causes the adverse changes in the natural environment.

Pollution can be in the form of chemicals or energy , such as heat, noise, and light. The cause of the pollution are the pollutants, that can occur naturally or can be manmade(anthropogenic).

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution is the contamination of air by the introduction of the foreign substances in the atmosphere . It can also be defined as the contamination of air either chemically, physically or biologically which may effect the human and the organisms.

Air pollution is the main cause of the some serious disease including respiratory infections, COPD, lung cancer, heart disease. Health effects that air pollution can cause may include wheezing, coughing, difficulty in breathing etc.

Important chemical pollutants that are emitted by the vehicles on the land include Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Particulate matters (PM), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Smoke is form when PM mixed with the Chemical gases , which when inhaled may cause respiratory problems.

AIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE

Air pollution in Lahore, now a days has become a serious threat to the life of the people of Lahore, it is the quickly increasing environmental problem in the country, As Lahore become the polluted metropolis of the country. Highly inefficient energy use, which accelerated the number increasing in the vehicle population and kilometers traveled daily basis, industrialization is also the cause of air pollution in Lahore , as the industries emit hazardous gases without adequate treatment of the gases, open burning of the solid waste including plastic, burning of coal, and use of the ODS (ozone depletion substances are some of the major reasons of worsening of ambient air quality in Lahore. Lahore is second biggest city of Pakistan having population more than ten million.

Excessive population, shortage of funds for development especially municipal services, illiteracy, vehicular pollution because of substandard fuels, industry within city and without emission control systems, ineffective EPA and overall POVERTY is the cause of severe environmental pollution in Lahore.

CAUSES OFAIR POLLUTION IN LAHORE

Vehicular smoke

Industrial Activities

Burning of Solid Waste

If we look around the city Lahore, we see that from Data Darbar to the railway station, the environment all around is highly polluted , which is mainly because of motorcycle rickshaws and two-stroke rickshaws.

According to the environmental department of Lahore, two-stoke rickshaws are causing 65% of the total vehicular pollution in the city. Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, lead and Carbon monoxide are the main pollutants due to heavy traffic that moves around the city.

LAHORE SMOG

Every year, during the month of December, a thick fog descends upon Lahore, blocking out the winter sunshine, closing off the motorway after dusk and preventing flights from landing at the international airport at night.

The problem is becoming serious over the last six years due to high levels of pollution and poor air quality in Lahore, due to vehicular smoke and industrial activities. Even during the summer months, there is now a photochemical smog hanging over the Lahore ,which is washed away by rain.

According to Dr Qamar uz Zaman Chaudhry, national climate change expert and former Director General of Pakistan’s Meteorological Department, “The main source of the pollutants in our lower atmosphere is Eastern Punjab where all the coal based industries are centered (across the border in India). Of course, we have added our share

of the pollutants as well from factory and car emissions.”

The places near the irrigation lands, rice paddies and rivers where the moisture is in more quantity available, the thicker fog has seen. When it rains in the Lahore , smog gets cleared and the lower layer of the atmosphere where all the harmful gases and other pollutants are present, washes away.

The smog in the Lahore is caused by gaseous emission by vehicular exhaust which when may mixed with dust or soot particles form a fog , and the fog is then triggered by the temperature inversion .

Smoke particles intent in the fog give it a yellowish black color and this smog sometimes stays over the Lahore for days causing reduction in visibility, which is one of the most noticeable indicators of pollution in the atmosphere. It regularly occurs as a result of smog that blurred the clarity, color, texture, and form of what people look at. Lahore Airport remains close during long hours of smog disturbing schedule of national and international flights to and from the city. Lahore Motorway (M 2) has to be closed. Even railway schedule is affected.

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT LAHORE

Air pollution data that is collected by wealth health organization about Lahore are as follows :

Particulate matter (10) 198Particulate matter (2.5) 68PM (10) Pollution Level Extremely high

Ambient Air quality in Lahore City SO2 (ppb) NOx (ppb) CO (ppm) TSP (ug/m3)Lahore 44.6 156.6 2.82 895

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

As the main cause of the Air pollution in Lahore in smoke emission from Vehicles, so there is a need for a master action plan to address the critical situation of air pollution in the city.

The environmental protection agencies and the transportation departments working in the city Lahore should take serious actions in order to stop or reduce the emission of hazardous gases in the environment through vehicles and industries.

According to the section 15 of the Pakistan environmental protection act 1997, vehicles which produces air pollutants and noise beyond the limitation provided by national environment quality department should be banned or not allowed. Two stoke rickshaws should replaced with four stoke vehicles. Vehicles using diesel as fuel should converted into alternative fuel (cng). Industries should charge as much as the pollute the environment. More tree plantation around the city.