Two dead as thick smog continues to cause traffic chaos in Punjab
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 06, 2017
LAHORE: As heavy smog continues to affect life and vehicular traffic across Punjab province, two more people died while more than ten others were injured in traffic mishaps caused by poor visibility on Sunday night/early Monday morning.
Despite Punjab government’s steps to reduce local contribution to smog, heavy fog continues to affect life and road and air traffic across the province.
According to rescue sources, a car ran over a citizen on Shangla road in Shahkot owing to poor visibility. As a result he died on the spot and the body was shifted to a nearby hospital, they added.
Four people were wounded when a car crashed into a bus near Chowk Sarwar Shaheeed in Muzaffargarh, according to rescue officials.
In yet another smog-related traffic mishap, a car skidded into a drain because of smog, resulting in death of a person and injuries to three others.
A spokesperson of the motorway police, Motorway M-2 from Lillah interchange to Lahore, M-3 from Pindi Bhattian to Faisalabad and M-4 from Gojra to Faisalabad have been closed for all kinds of traffic due to dense smog and zero visibility. Motorists plying on the motorway were guided out, he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab government’s spokesperson Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said, 236 industrial units, accused of spreading pollution, have been sealed while FIR has been lodged against 60 units.
He said that farmers are being informed about the adverse effects of smoke from burning crop stubble.
Section 144
The provincial government has imposed ‘Section 144’ in the province till December 16 to bar farmers from burning leftover crops waste, which believed to be one of the prime contributors to the smog problem in Punjab.
Punjab has been badly struck with foggy weather condition in recent years in beginning days of winter in the region. The prevalent smog episode is similar to the one that struck the province last year, noted chief meteorologist Mohammad Riaz.
The smog is caused by a lack of rain and immense pollution. Smoke from vehicles, factories and burning of the remains of crops could one of the major factors behind the dense smog in the province, Riaz said.
Analysts are of the opinion that a spell of heavy rains or strong winds could clear the hazy conditions in the province.