Punjab smog crisis worsens as air pollution engulfs several cities

LAHORE: With the onset of the winter the air quality has worsened in Punjab as several cities of the province have been engulfed by smog.

Lahore’s air quality has become very unhygienic as the city’s air pollution level has soared to 382 points on the top of the list of the most polluted cities of the world.

In Pakistan Gujranwala has become the most polluted city with 457 AQI reading on Saturday, Faisalabad air pollution recorded 330 on the AQI while in Multan AQI pollution recorded 282.

The doctors have advised citizens to use masks to avoid the hazards of smog on health.

Last year air pollution 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, causing 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 the cooling air.

Air pollution level in Lahore once soared to as high as 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.