Pollution engulfs several Punjab cities with unhygienic air

LAHORE: Smog engulfed several cities of Punjab on Sunday and Lahore remained second most polluted city of the world on the air quality index.

Lahore’s air became extremely unhygienic with the AQI reading 346 while Karachi remained third in the world air pollution with 206 level of the particulate matter.

Indian capital city New Delhi remained the most polluted city of the world with 467 air quality reading.

In Pakistan Faisalabad was the most polluted city with 401 AQI mark as Gujranwala’s air pollution was recorded 380 and Multan’s 263.

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

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

Last year, 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 pollutants and health problems.