Toxic smog blankets Lahore as AQI soars above 1000, schools closed

The smog, which has reduced visibility, led to disruption of commute, with the authorities banning rickshaws, halting definite operation activities, and advising radical to enactment indoors. A “smog warfare room” has been acceptable up to show the concern and oversee measures to tackle the pollution.

Pollution levels remained dangerously high, with an AQI of 990 recorded astatine 11:30 p.m. connected Thursday. Specific locations reported alarming levels: the CERP Office had an AQI of 1499, the US Consulate 1248, Askari-10 1206, Syed Maratib Ali Road 844, Pakistan Engineering Services 1171, and Ghazi Road Interchange 1063, Pakistan regular Dawn reported.

The authorities has besides unopen down each nationalist and backstage schools and colleges successful 18 districts of Punjab from November 7 to 17, to forestall students and unit from vulnerability to toxic air.

Hospitals successful Lahore are witnessing a crisp emergence successful patients with respiratory issues, oculus irritation, and different pollution-related wellness problems, Dawn reported.

Efforts connected to curb aerial contamination successful Pakistan

For years, Lahore has regularly featured connected the database of the world’s astir polluted cities.

To code the issue, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is promoting modern cultivation practices successful the province, according to Dawn. As portion of this initiative, 1,000 ace seeder machines were distributed to farmers successful districts specified arsenic Faisalabad, Okara, and Sialkot. The machines volition assistance hole onshore without burning harvest residues, aiming to trim cultivation emissions, a large contributor to smog.

Aurangzeb besides announced that the postponement of the provincial sports gala owed to terrible smog, with plans to reschedule it erstwhile aerial prime improves.

Additionally, instrumentality enforcement agencies person filed 15 FIRs for amerciable harvest burning and imposed fines exceeding Rs 400,000. More than 3,850 unpaid committees are monitoring the situation, educating the public, distributing informational materials, and coordinating nighttime surveillance of soil trolleys with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and postulation squads.