Fog engulfs Punjab, Peshawar motorways, results poor visibility

LAHORE: Dense fog engulfed the plains of Punjab and Peshawar division in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Friday morning affected traffic on highways, ARY News reported.

The traffic on National Highway at Okara, Sahiwal, Patoki, Habibabad and Renala affected due to intense foggy conditions, while the visibility range at Ferozwala, Kala Shah Kaku, Muridke and Shekhupura lowered to 50 meters.

A spokesman of the Motorway Police said that Multan-Khanewal section of the motorway has been closed for traffic due to hazy conditions.

The motorway from Lahore to Shekhupura and Kot Momin has also been closed for all traffic due to poor visibility, motorway police statement said. Motorway-IV from Pindi Bhattian and Faisalabad to Gojra has also been closed due to dense foggy conditions.

The motorway section from Peshawar to Rashkai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has also been closed for traffic. The motorway police has advised commuters to use fog lights and avoid unnecessary travel.

Motorway police can be contacted at helpline 130 for any travel guidance, the police statement added.

In winter, the plains of Punjab engulfed by a thick layer of fog affecting daily life and vehicular traffic. Poor visibility makes travel on motorways dangerous and also affect the air traffic.

According to experts the thick hazy layer understood to be winter’s fog is a noxious smog carrying serious health hazards.

The word ‘smog’ is basically derived from the merging of two words; smoke and fog which means that smog is a mixture of smoke and fog, caused by increasing vehicular and industrial emissions. The word ‘smog’ first used for the hazy condition, which results from large amounts of coal burning in an area and is caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide.