Smog woes: Lahore on top of air quality index despite Govt efforts

LAHORE: Provincial authorities’ desperate efforts to contain smog in Punjab cities failed to succeed as Lahore remains on the top of the list of the world’s big cities with 766 Air Quality Index reading, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Bad air continuing to haunt Lahore and several other cities of Punjab despite authorities’ taking various steps to curb polluted air.

Lodharan with 758 points remained second in Pakistan on the AQI list, Rojhan ranked 3rd with 495 points, Faisalabad 4th with 492 points, Sialkot 5th (487) and Multan 6th with 386 AQI reading in the country with dangerous level of hazardous pollutants in the air.

Karachi ranked 6th in the list of the world’s big cities with 188 points on the Air Quality Index.

Peshawar’s AQI reading dropped below 100 after several days with 96 points on the index after rainfall in the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Several sections of the motorway have been closed for vehicular traffic after poor visibility owing to fog and smog. Motorway M-2 from Lahore to Islamabad, Lahore-Sialkot motorway, Lahore to Darkhana (M-3), Pindi Bhattian to Multan (M-4) and Multan to Sukkur (M-5) motorway have been closed for traffic.

The Punjab government earlier imposed a complete lockdown in Lahore and Multan for three days a week due to worsening smog conditions.

Senior Minister for Information and Environment Protection Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a press conference, emphasised the severe health risks posed by smog, comparing it to the dangers experienced during COVID-19.

Punjab government recently also announced closure of schools upto higher secondary level in smog hit districts of the province till 24 November.

The decision made as the province grappling with severe air pollution, which have soared to alarming levels, affecting the public health.

Lahore has been consistently ranked top among the most polluted cities globally, prompting urgent action from authorities.

For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.

Air pollution level in Lahore once soared to more than 80 times over the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), AFP said in a report.