Bad air haunts Punjab cities, Faisalabad records worst pollution

LAHORE: Bad air continuing to haunt Punjab as Faisalabad recorded the worst air quality on Wednesday according to an international environment website.

According to the report, Faisalabad has recorded maximum 533 reading of the hazardous particulate matter on the air quality index.

The AQI reading of Gujranwala was recorded 370 and Lahore 269 today.

Moreover, the particulate matter’s reading in Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Bahawalpur also recorded above 200.

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

Last year 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 hygienic level approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The government also closed schools and restricted timing of eateries, other businesses and markets last year, to save general public from the adverse impact of toxic pollution and unhygienic air.