Fog in Punjab

Its of utmost importance authorities take all possible precautionary measures, ensure mishaps due to fog are minimised

With the onset of winter and a fall in temperatures, Punjab is facing the adverse impacts of dense fog that has affected visibility throughout the province. Air and road travel has been hugely disrupted because of this dense fog. Domestic and international flights at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, as well as other airports in the province, are either being delayed or cancelled on a daily basis, while the Motorway and the Punjab Highway Police have advised people to refrain from inter-city driving due to low to nil roadway visibility.

Most tragically, dozens have been killed and hundreds injured in recent days due to the thick fog. Though commuters have been urged to use fog lights, it is likely that bright fog lights tend to blind oncoming drivers causing serious accidents. According to the Meteorological Office in Lahore, dense fog will engulf most parts of Punjab for over two weeks and hence, there is still danger of further loss of precious life. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that authorities take all possible precautionary measures to ensure that mishaps due to fog are minimised. In this regard, the provincial authorities need to play a more proactive role in issuing advisories for commuters and travellers in order to warn them of the dangers of travelling in such weather and the precautions to take in order to avoid serious accidents. It would also be helpful if daily forecasts of the weather are issued by the authorities, with special focus on the level of visibility in the different cities of Punjab, finding prominent mention in these forecasts. The traffic authorities clearly have their work cut out for themselves. Besides taking measures to ensure that serious accidents do not occur, they also have to be prepared for all sorts of eventualities that may occur on the province’s roads and highways. The citizenry itself needs to be on its guard during such weather and should avoid long commutes during hours when visibility is poor.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2013.

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