Air quality worsens in cities as temperatures go down

LAHORE: Most of the cities of the country on Saturday engulfed by air pollution as Lahore ranked the second most polluted city of the world with 286 level of particulate matter.

Karachi ranked third at the Air Quality Index with 233 reading.

Peshawar recorded the worst air quality reading in Pakistan with 537 particulate matters.

Faisalabad’s air pollution reading measured at 384, Khanewal 304 and Multan recorded 208 particulate matters.

The worsening of the air quality was driven by high moisture and a shift in wind direction, conditions that hinder dispersion of pollutants and foster smog formation, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management.

Last year air pollution and smog haunted Punjab with the onset of winter. Authorities made desperate efforts to contain smog in cities. The province grappled with severe air pollution, which soared to alarming levels, posing serious public health issues.

For days, Lahore was enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants, caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning as temperatures drop with cooling air.

Air pollution level in Lahore once soared to more than 80 times of the level deemed hygienic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The government closed schools and restricted timing of eateries, other businesses and markets to save general public from the adverse impact of toxic pollution and health problems.