Clearing the air: Can nuclear energy solve South Asia's smog crisis?

For several years now, 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 across the Punjab hinterlands, while unregulated traffic floods the roads. The relentless “concretisation” of urban and rural areas has consumed precious agricultural land, turning once-thriving landscapes into sprawling housing schemes. 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?

Despite efforts from both countries to control sulphur, several gaps remain. They are participating actively in regional air pollution combat agreements, such as the 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 Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Air quality indices of the major cities of Lahore and New Delhi frequently cross the 300 micrograms of PM2.5 levels, far surpassing the acceptable and safe limit of 100 micrograms. Due to this, in 2021 alone Pakistan incurred the loss of 100,000 lives (87 per 100,000 people) while India suffered 950,000 (91 per 100,000 people) related deaths. Among other health hazards is heart disease, with 18 per cent in Pakistan and 23 per cent in India, which 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, increased coal production to a massive 1 billion tons in 2024, and it plans to add 93 GW of coal-fired electricity capacity by 2032, as its largest coal producer nearly doubled its production in 2019. It contradicts the intended goal of Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation through which the former is enjoying access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes but, India is now utilising it indirectly for building more nuclear weapons via its civilian, unsafeguarded nuclear programme. Moreover, it plans to expand coal mining operations in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand and increase coal imports from Indonesia. Pakistan, meanwhile, relies on thermal energy as a key strategy to tackle its energy crisis. Thermal energy contributes 59.45 per cent of its energy mix. The country has faced significant energy challenges to acquire alternative energy sources to tackle severe shortages that have led to electricity blackouts and an ever-increasing debt. While Pakistan has pledged to increase its nuclear energy contribution to the national energy mix by 2030, the politicised 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 quadruple coal production shortly after announcing its moratorium in 2020 and ramped up its indigenous coal production from its 185 billion tons of coal reserves, located primarily in Balochistan and Sindh.

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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 sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the air by producing the attacker electrons that break down these harmful substances. Another key technology is cogeneration which uses nuclear power to produce heat and electricity concomitantly 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 fertilisers. 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 per cent of energy generation was 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 sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by up to 95per cent and 70 per cent respectively, and released highly valuable agriculture fertilisers as a by-product.

Applying the success story of the nuclear decarbonisation of Poland to South Asia is suitable for tackling the South Asian smog crisis. In the wake of the dismal chances of an energy trade between India and Pakistan, the 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 the Indo-US nuclear agreement. However, 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 and India’s aggressive regional and global designs with the aim of isolating Pakistan hinder the prospects of energy trade between both countries significantly. Their trade relations deteriorated further after India passed the Kashmir Reorganisation Act, straining bilateral relations and resulting in 200 per cent import duties on goods from Pakistan, while the latter suspended trade in retaliation for Indian actions in the Illegally Indian-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. Pakistan and India cooperated successfully on joint operations such as combating locust attacks, and demonstrated that cooperation is possible despite bad blood between them. 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. By leveraging innovative nuclear technologies to combat smog crisis, both countries can not only clean the air, but also pave the way for lasting peace and cooperation.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.