For the past several years, the provinces of Pakistani and Indian Punjab have been engulfed in a thick, suffocating smog each winter. Air pollution has escalated to alarming levels, choking the lives of urban inhabitants and rural communities alike. With each passing season, the vibrant pulse of daily life grinds to a halt: classrooms fall silent as schools close their doors, public parks become desolate, breeding grounds for respiratory infections, and residents wear masks reminiscent of the haunting days of the COVID pandemic.
Domestically, an urgent and necessary drive for rapid power expansion has also led to the emergence of coal-fired power plants scattered across the hinterlands of Punjab, while unregulated vehicular traffic floods the roads. The relentless “concretization” of urban and rural areas has consumed precious agricultural land, turning once-thriving landscapes into sprawling housing societies. To worsen the situation, antiquated agricultural practices contribute significantly to air pollution as autumn gives way to the bitter chills of winter. The problem is glaringly obvious, everyone is acutely aware of it, and we are inhaling the toxic air with a mask tightly fitted over our faces. Nevertheless, amidst this backdrop of despair, the pressing question lingers: what viable solutions can emerge to address this relentless, escalating crisis that has taken years to inveigle?
Despite efforts from both countries to control sulfur, several gaps remain. They are actively participating in regional air pollution combat agreements i.e. UN ESCAP regional action programme and Male declaration on air pollution control. However, their heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation has exacerbated this issue for both countries. The air quality of Pakistan and India in terms of average annual exposure to particulate matter are 43.0 µg/m³ and 48.4 µg/m³ respectively. These levels are alarmingly 8.6 and 9.7 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines. Air quality indices of the major cities of Lahore and New Delhi frequently cross the 300 micrograms of PM2.5 levels, surpassing the acceptable and safe limit of 100 micrograms far behind. Due to this, just in 2021, Pakistan incurred the loss of 100,000 lives (87 per 100,000 people) while India suffered 950,000 (91 per 100,000 people). Among other health hazards ischemic heart disease, with 18% in Pakistan and 23% in India is also attributed to outdoor fine particle pollution.
Among the loopholes in air pollution mitigation efforts, the heavy reliance on thermal energy for energy production is a major concern for both India and Pakistan. India, being the second largest coal producer globally, has increased coal production to a massive 1 billion tons in 2024, and India plans to add 93 GW of coal-fired capacity by 2032 as its largest coal producer company had nearly doubled the production in 2019. It contradicts the intended goal of Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation through which the former is enjoying access to the nuclear technology for peaceful purposes but, India is not utilizing it indirectly for building more nuclear weapons via civilian unsafeguarded nuclear program. Moreover, it plans to expand coal mining operations in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand and increase coal imports from Indonesia. On the other hand, Pakistan, relies on thermal energy as a key strategy to tackle its energy crisis. Thermal energy contributes 59.45% of its energy mix. The country has faced significant energy challenges to acquire alternative energy sources to tackle severe energy shortages that have led to electricity blackouts and an ever-increasing circular debt. While Pakistan has pledged to increase nuclear energy contribution to the national energy mix by 2030, the politicized international trade through practices of exceptionalism by major powers is hindering this goal and makes it a victim of exceptionalist polices. Consequently, it had to quadrupled coal production shortly after announcing its moratorium in 2020 and ramped up its indigenous coal production from its 185 billion tons of coal reserves, primarily located in Balochistan and Sindh.
Over the years, peaceful nuclear technology has increasingly been adopted as a preferable alternative for both developed and developing states, to reduce their carbon footprint and fulfil ever-increasing energy demand. It offers innovative solutions to combat the perilous air pollution, such as smog. Among the peaceful nuclear technologies are electron beam accelerators. One of their key functions is to remove pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the air by producing the attacker electrons that attack and break down these harmful substances. Another key technology is cogeneration which uses nuclear power to concomitantly produce heat and electricity for industrial uses. This technology not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also enhances energy efficiency. Furthermore, radiation technology provides an eco-friendly solution to reduce pollutants. It converts harmful fossil fuels into valuable agricultural fertilizers. Together, these nuclear technologies not only tackle the urgent air pollution but also contribute to sustainable energy generation practices. It makes them an essential tool to tackle air pollution such as smog.
The case study of Poland is pertinent to highlight the effectiveness of peaceful nuclear technologies in addressing the challenge of air pollution. In Poland, air pollution claimed nearly 45,000 lives annually. Similar to India and Pakistan, the excessive usage of coal in 80% of energy generation stood as the culprit. To tackle this, the country joined hands with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and employed peaceful nuclear technologies. Among the notable ones are the electron beam accelerators employed in Poland, and they reduced the emissions from the coal-powered plants significantly. The electron beam facility was installed at the Pomorzany power plant which cut sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides up to 95% and 70% respectively and released highly valuable agriculture fertilizers as a by-product.
Applying the success story of the nuclear decarbonization of Poland to South Asia is highly suitable to tackle the South Asian smog crisis. In the wake of dismal chances of the energy trade between India and Pakistan, increase of nuclear energy in Pakistan’s energy mix is the key. India already has access to multiple players through 13-plus nuclear deals after the signing of Indo-US nuclear agreement. On the contrary, Pakistan is not given equal treatment – except by China – in the nuclear club despite its need to increase the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix. The protracted conflicts, longstanding disputes Indian aggressive regional and global designs with an aim to isolate Pakistan significantly hinder the prospects of energy trade between both countries. Their trade relations further deteriorated after India passed the Kashmir Reorganization Act straining their bilateral relations and resulted in 200% import duties on goods from Pakistan, while Pakistan suspended trade in retaliation of Indian actions in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). A World Bank report suggests that trade potential could have been up to 18 times higher than the pre-2019 levels, particularly for heavy machinery, and heavy parts considering their competitive prices. Strengthening smog diplomacy is crucial. Both states have earlier successfully cooperated on joint operations such as combating locust attacks and demonstrated that cooperation is possible despite bad blood. A similar collaborative spirit is required to address this common issue. As air pollution knows no borders, it is critical for both countries to cooperate on this burning issue. By leveraging innovative nuclear technologies to combat smog crisis, both countries can clean not only clear the air, but also pave the way for lasting peace and cooperation.
This article was published in another form at https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250303-clearing-the-air-can-nuclear-energy-solve-south-asias-smog-crisis/
Ms Anam Murad Khan is Research Assistant at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
Hammad Waleed is a Research Associate at Strategic Vision Institute, Islamabad.
