Anti-smog curbs eased in Punjab

LAHORE:

After completing the installation of 30 modern Air Quality Monitors in Lahore and other smog-hit districts, the Punjab government has lifted most of the preventive restrictions, allowing construction work and work in offices.

However, air pollution still prevails on Lahore and several other big districts with thousands of citizens suffering from diseases caused by smog.

The affected districts include Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kasur and Faisalabad.

According to doctors, a large number of people visited the outpatient and emergency departments of the big hospitals. Most of the patients elderly and children complaining of respiratory diseases, cough, asthma, fever, eye and heart problems.

An official of the primary and secondary healthcare department said the hospitals were facing difficulties in coping with the high number of cases of respiratory diseases.

The official said the situation was most serious in Lahore, where 3,069 patients of respiratory diseases had been registered in hospitals. Most of them were senior citizens and children.

On the other hand, the Punjab government relaxed the restrictions that had been imposed recently to curb smog. A notification in this regard was issued by the environment protection department.

As per the notification, kilns with zigzag technology were allowed to operate in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan divisions, while construction work was also permitted.

Offices that had been functioning with 50 per cent staff were allowed to return to full attendance.

Heavy traffic may enter the cities from Monday to Thursday. However, shops will continue to be shut at 8:00pm and restaurants 10:00pm.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has completed the installation of 30 modern Air Quality Monitors in smog-hit cities and plans to install 25 more in various areas.

The number of air quality monitors functioning in Lahore has now increased to eight from five.

The provincial government has installed three AQ Monitors in Rawalpindi, two each in Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha, and one each in Dera Ghazi Khan, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura.

Provincial Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the newly installed AQ Monitors would be linked with the digital World Air Quality Index (AQI) network and the public and researchers would be able to obtain data from them. The AQI of the provincial capital showed slight improvement on Monday. However, the city's average AQI remained at 175, categorised as unhealthy.

Data revealed that PM2.5 particulate matter concentrations in Lahore were 17.9 times higher than the World Health Organisation's annual air quality guideline.

Met officials predicted cold and dry weather across most of the country.

They noted that smog and fog in patches were likely to persist in isolated plain areas of Punjab and upper Sindh during the morning and night hours. The minimum temperature recorded in Lahore was 13°C and maximum 26.5°C.

Meanwhile, six shops and six restaurants in the provincial capital were sealed for violating the operating hours imposed to curb smog.

Officials in Shalimar Tehsil sealed four shops, in Saddar a departmental store, a tobacco shop and six restaurants.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel, wear masks and protect vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with health issues from the harmful effects of air pollution.

He warned of strict action against violators with no exceptions.

With additional input from APP