We didn’t know the true cause of the Lahore smog earlier but we have discovered the reason now. NASA has revealed new information that throws light into the main cause of the smog thats engulfing Lahore these days.

The smog wasn’t just limited to Lahore, it had been affecting cities in India as well. New Delhi is also facing a similar smog which is not expected to dissipate until 2-3 days (rain forecast). The cause for this smog seems to be wide scale crop burning, in the Indian Punjab.

NASA Reveals the Culprit

Image from NASA shows the source of the crop burning areas to be from India. Take a look at their recently released satellite image:

The places marked in red are the locations which are involved in crop burning. As you can see, majority of crop burning originates from India, particularly Indian Punjab with the city of Jalandhar centered around it.

According to New York Times, the farmers in those areas burn the left over straw instead of getting rid of it through other means. The left over straw is as much as 32 million tonnes, which would explain the cause of the smog. The farmers say that they cannot afford to buy expensive equipment to clear the land so they resort to burning it instead.

A farmer said that one of the most widely available brand of seeders, which does not require crop burning, costs around $1,900. They can’t afford to buy them even if the government agrees to pay half of the cost.

Read More: Lahore Smog: It’s Man Made and Here’s How to Combat it

Experts said that all these crop burnings in India are ultumately causing the smog in Pakistan, particularly in Lahore and vicinity.

Pakistani MET department said that rain is the only cure for the smog, which is not forcosted for some days at least. This smog in Lahore has already caused counts of allergies, including eye burning and breating issues.

Pakistan Met Department said that smog in Pakistan could persist for days.

Via Huffington Post