The great English poet John Milton (1608-74) counted Lahore among the finest cities of the world. In his Paradise Lost (book 10) Milton says:

"His eyes might there command whatever stood
City of old or modern fame, the seat
Of mightiest empire, from the destined walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathian Can,
And Samarcand by Oxus, Temir’s throne,
To Paquin of Sinaen Kings, and thence
To Agra and Lahore of Great Mogul..."

How does one handle the trauma that this city, admired by devotees spread all over the world, is in the throes of dilapidation and decay? When I say, Lahore, I mean the historical city which has existed for at least a thousand years. It includes the Walled City, the various localities which sprang up around the Circular Road that rings it; the Lahore that the British built, from Mayo Hospital to the Canal Bank on the east.

In sharp contrast to this city, the new Lahore of the rich and successful that extends from the Canal Bank to Allama Iqbal Airport gets all the attention and is kept in good shape.

The Walled City and its bordering localities are badly neglected. Excluding some upper class areas around the Governor’s House and the stretch up to the old Race Course, the rest is in a state of disrepair.

When I visited Lahore during Shahbaz Sharif’s chief minister-ship in the late 1990s things were upbeat. Great improvements were underway as Shahbaz personally supervised the development and beautification of Lahore, although the people of the Walled City complain bitterly that he never cared for them.

I have been travelling off and on to South Asia since 1979. Of Lahore, Karachi, Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Dhaka, I must admit Delhi is now undoubtedly the most well-kept. Its air is as clear and breathable as is possible in a city sprawling over the entire Union territory and encroaching on parts of Haryana and UP. (Its population, estimated at 12 million, far exceeds Lahore’s six to eight million). This has happened due to the judicial activism of the Indian Supreme Court which has ordered government buses, private taxis and rickshaws to only use CNG (compressed natural gas). Moreover, the overall improvement in education and civic values has meant that most people follow traffic rules. For example, every taxi-driver reminded me to put on the seatbelt.

Mumbai and Calcutta have their beggars and filth and Karachi has been destroyed by several decades of ethnic terrorism, but none is so badly managed as Lahore. Since Pakistan’s natural gas reserves are relatively superior to India’s and we have been using the gas in our homes for more than 30 years it is astounding that we were not the first to make it mandatory for transportation.

Brigadier Yasub Ali Dogar (retired) has prepared an excellent paper on the pathetic situation of Lahore. He points out unchecked urbanisation, overpopulation, drinking water supply mixing with sewage water, untreated industrial and domestic waste going straight into River Ravi. Groundwater is being depleted because of the inadequate recharge of ground aquifers. Because of traffic congestion and pesticides use, harmful substances such as zinc, lead and phosphates are seeping into vegetation and food products. For lack of visionary, honest and environmentally-aware administrators, the people and the city of Lahore are suffering from abuse and neglect.

During my recent visit to Lahore I felt that air and water pollution had reached unacceptable levels. In fact every time I am in Lahore I end up catching some respiratory system infection. We need to take stock of the situation and quickly find remedies lest what was once the pride of Moghul power and the most beautiful city of the British Raj should meet the fate that befell Harappa, Taxila and Moen jo Daro.

It is important to promote mass public transport, reducing reliance on private means of transport. New industries should not be located close to the city while those operating in thickly populated areas should be moved out. A ban on private housing schemes is also needed. Those living in the slums or katchi abadis should be provided proper housing and other support.

Most importantly, housing societies should not be allowed to purchase agricultural land. I am told that the army is involved in ‘developing housing schemes’ around the Allama Iqbal Airport, and this has opened another avenue for corruption for the custodians of our national security and pride. But the destruction of green belts and greenery in general will ultimately play havoc with the health and well-being of the people of Lahore.

Organised efforts should be directed at recycling water, improving solid waste disposal systems and water treatment. There are cheap, home-grown solutions available. All that is needed is someone who cares for Lahore and its people. Can’t our Supreme Court intervene, freeing not only Lahore but also other major cities from environmental degradation? We also need to launch people’s initiatives for growing trees. It is equally important that traffic lights and other signs are respected.

I grew up in a Lahore in which motorists would stop or slow down their cars to allow schoolchildren and old men and women to cross the road. This time I stood and watched how children had to wait to find an opportunity to cross the road; some took the chance by running across the road quickly and were lucky not to be overrun by a car or motor rickshaw. I am happy that I stopped going to school some 40 or more years ago, but my heart goes out to the suffering of the current generation and those of the future if nothing is done to restore the humanity and solidarity which once characterised this ancient city.

The author is an associate professor of political science at Stockholm University. He is the author of two books. His email address is Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se