Toxic smog tightens chokehold on Punjab

Air pollution reaches hazardous level across Lahore

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has issued an emergency alert for Lahore due to an alarming level of smog.

Air pollution has peaked to a 'hazardous' level, leaving almost the whole of the provincial capital in the grip of smog. The smog has also affected the nearby cities, including Kasur, Sheikhupura, Muridke and Gujranwala.

Lahore was ranked the most polluted city in the world with the citizens exposed to the risk of various diseases. After struggling to protect the environment of the city, the Punjab government has sought public cooperation to curb smog.

The city has topped the list of polluted cities repeatedly during the past week with its Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 400, which is considered a hazardous level, especially for young children and senior citizens.

Populous areas of Lahore, including the Walled City, Gulberg, Shadman, Shadbagh, Lohari, Daroghawala, Thokar Niaz Baig and Gulshan Ravi recorded hazardous levels of air pollution amidst dense smog.

Citizens travelling on the major city roads have also started wearing masks to protect themselves from the smog

As the impact of the smog expanded to nearby cities, environmental experts warned that the problem was likely to intensify in coming days, urging the citizens to take precautionary measures.

A senior environment protection official said Lahore's air had become the most polluted in the world and it appeared that the city might soon face an emergency situation.

The official said other major districts of the province, including Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Multan, Gujranwala, Chakwal and Sialkot would also face the same situation if there would be no rain in the coming days.

He said the government had made maximum efforts and had also sought public cooperation but the environment protection department needed to be questioned about its performance so far.

The Punjab government has also changed the school timings and barred outdoor activities to protect the students from the smog.

The government has also intensified a crackdown on factories and vehicles causing pollution. Action is being taken in areas around Lahore against the industrial units that have not adopted environment friendly technologies.

A former medical superintendent of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Abdul Basit, said the citizens should adopt preventive measures and stay home during the prevailing situation.

He said the season was especially dangerous for the heart patients and those suffering from breathing problems and they should avoid outdoor physical exercise.

He also advised the citizens to wear mask and avoid the localities hit by dense fog.

A former chairman of the Punjab University Geography Department, Dr Munawar Sabir, said rain was necessary to improve the environment but its chances were low. He said plants and animals were also being affected by the pollution.

Meanwhile, an environment department official claimed that the pollution had increased in Lahore due to burning of crops in India and smoke blowing towards the city.

An AQI of 545 was recorded in Lahore on Monday morning, which is extremely dangerous for human health.

Punjab Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar said polluted winds from India had entered Lahore's atmosphere at a speed of 5km per hour, whose intensity had gradually decreased to 3km per hour at 2pm, due to which the AQI reading had improved to 242.

On the other hand, the AQI in Amritsar was recorded at 189 and in Delhi at 271.

The citizens were also advised through the emergency alert to keep the windows and doors of their homes and offices closed to avoid the smog.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb directed the authorities concerned to issue the emergency alert for citizens in Lahore for the implementation of safety measures against the rising levels of smog.

To ensure children's safety, school hours have been adjusted to start at 8:45am and parents have been strongly advised to ensure that their children must wear masks.

Marriyum Aurangzeb stated that under government measures to combat environmental pollution, smoke-emitting vehicles will be impounded, no brick kiln will operate without zigzag technology and stern action will be taken against those who burn crop residues.

With additional input from APP