By IPS Correspondents
MEXICO CITY, May 30 1998 (IPS)

Forty years ago, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes baptised the capital of his country “the clearest region.” But today residents of one of the world’s largest cities are coing on the heavy smog and aging prematurely, while blue sky is a rare sight.

The city, facing its umpteenth enviomental crisis this week, hs now been dubbed “the most asphyxiating region.”

Official reports admit that air qality in Mexico City is considered satisfactory less than 30 days a year.

Thanks to record high temperatures, a lack of wind to sweep away the smog, gases and suspended particles from forest fires, factories, automobile exhaust pipes and garbage incineration, maximum visibility is 800 metres and there is a constant smell of burning in the air.

Mexico City Governor Cuauhtemoc Cardenas declared an environmental emergency for the second day in a row Wednesday, which includes measures such as a reduction in the number of vehicles allowed to circulate, the closing down of factories, and the suspension of open air activities in schools.

“The clearest region” of four decades ago, when the city was home to less than five million people, has become an impossible dream, says writer Homero Aridjis.

The capital of Mexico is one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas today, with close to 20 million inhabitants.

As during previous environmental emergencies, ecologists describe the measures as “too little, too late,” politicians criticise authorities as inefficient, experts are recommending an endless list of solutions, and doctors are warning of public health dangers.

According to the Health Commission of the city’s Legislative Assembly, life expectancy in Mexico City, which currently fluctuates between 69 and 71 years, is reduced five to10 percent by the air pollution.

The health ministry reported that cases of dry coughs and headaches have increased up to 30 percent over the past few days, and that seven of every 10 local residents are suffering some form of pollution-related health trouble.

Located 2,240 metres above sea level, surrounded by mountains, with an inefficient public transport system and more than 3.5 million vehicles and dozens of factories that emit tonnes of gases, the once “clear” city looks more like a gas chamber today.

The smog, present to some extent for much of the year, has been aggravated in recent weeks by the unseasonable heat and the hundreds of forest fires related to the El Nino weather phenomenon which have destroyed tens of thousands of hectares throughout the country since January.

Local authorities say Mexico City residents are facing higher an ever concentrations of air pollution, which accentuates respiratory and cardiovascular conditions and weakens the immune system.

Doctors say the pollution also accelerates the aging of cells and can cause lung cancer. A World Health Organisation study already warned in 1993 that breathing the air in Mexico City for one day was equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes.

The city government headed by the centre-left Governor Cardenas since December insists it is doing everything within its grasp to fight the pollution, but clarified that many of the strategies being adopted wee long-term in nature.

Re-routing traffic, retiring vehicles that run on leaded gas, requiring factories to use anti-pollution equipment and improving the quality of gasoline are several of the measures on the drawing board.

Researchers have suggested that giant fans be installed at various points of the city to blow the polluted air towards other areas, but officials say the project would be costly and ineffective.

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