Bushfire: Smoke out on the highway

ISLAMABAD: Burning bushes along Kashmir Highway caused thick plumes of smoke to wrap around the busy thoroughfare, polluting the air and making it difficult for the passersby, commuters and people living in nearby areas to breathe. The cloud of the black smoke could be seen from miles around.

With the onset of winter, bushfires become common in the city’s suburbs and rural areas.

According to environmental experts, bushfires reduce air quality and can be a major trigger for people with asthma and other respiratory issues.

Recently an increase in the incidence of smog in major cities in Punjab led the provincial government to impose a ban on open burning of garbage.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2016.