ISLAMABAD  -  The selection of top priorities of the governments to deal with the issues has always been criticized by the opposition factions in the parliament, but unfortunately the same political parties after taking reins of the country face the same criticism.

It has normally been observed that the most important national level issues, after long speeches from both sides of the aisle in the parliament, concluded by passing unanimous resolutions but no effective implementation was seen on the ground. The issue of ‘Climate Change’ has been under discussion of parliamentarians for the last three eras since PTI-led government.

The horrible picture, painted by Pakistan Economic Survey (PES), had already suggested that the annual expected damage from riverine floods by 2050 is projected to surge by 47 percent (RCP 4.5) and 49 percent (RCP 8.5) respectively. The fraction of the population exposed to heat waves yearly is expected to increase by 32 percent (RCP 4.5) and 36 percent (RCP 8.5) by 2050 respectively.

On global warming, environmental experts, time and again raised possible negative effects of climate change but the seriousness of the governments was seen in 2022 when a large number of the people had to spend countless nights under the open sky in freezing temperature.

The matter of the ‘Smog’ is also not different from the rest of the issues, as so many times the environmental experts had tried to draw attention on this issue. Now, when the Air Quality Index (AQI) normally touching 1000 the government has started adopting temporary measures to avoid big losses. In these days, both Pakistan and India, are adopting artificial rain (Cloud seeding) option to induce or increase rainfall in the affected areas. This temporary arrangement, though need of the hour, but much costly for a country that was recently struggling to avoid ‘default’ in the near past.

The Punjab government has recently conducted a trial of local technology for artificial rain in a bid to mitigate the effects of dense smog in the province. The process of ‘cloud seeding’ was carried out in Jhelum, Gujar Khan, Chakwal and Talagang, which resulted in rainfall in the first two areas within a few hours. This temporary arrangement mitigated has the effect for a short period, but unfortunately the smog issue may continue for two more months in the Punjab, environmental experts claimed sharing views with this newspaper.

About the ‘artificial rain’, Dr. Muqarrab Ali, an environmental scientist, said the Punjab government has announced plans to use cloud seeding, a modification technique which involves spraying clouds with chemicals like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or liquid propane to encourage rainfall.

These chemicals act as seeding agents, helping moisture in clouds condense into raindrops planes or drones usually carry out the seeding process. The goal is to create rain to reduce air pollution, combat drought, or improve agricultural conditions, he said, adding that Artificial rain is expensive, with costs running into millions per session.

“There are ecological concerns as pollutants washed into the soil and water sources could cause long-term harm as countries like the UAE and China have demonstrated the potential of artificial rain. The UAE, environmental experts claimed, has used cloud seeding to combat drought and improve air quality in urban areas, while China successfully deployed the technique during the Beijing Olympics to ensure clear skies. “These examples inspire hope for Pakistan, but they also highlight the need for rigorous planning and international collaboration to adopt these methods.“ As an environmental scientist, it’s important to understand that while artificial rain through cloud seeding can provide temporary relief from smog, it is not a long-term solution to air pollution,” he said, suggesting that there is a need to focus on reducing these emissions, adopting cleaner technologies, and promoting better urban planning.

There is a need to understand that the country is currently dealing with a severe smog problem as the AQI in Lahore has consistently remained hazardous, exceeding 1,000, while Multan recorded levels above 2,000, the highest in recent memory. In order to combat such alarming levels of pollution, the experts viewed that the government’s priorities should be clear to deal with national level issues as ‘Smog’ is not a natural calamity which has happened overnight. Despite political differences, the governments should continue to deal with national level issues after coming into power for the national cause.