With air quality moving from 'hazardous' to 'unhealthy' in the provincial metropolis, the City of Lahore has now become the third most polluted city in the world.
Lahore, which was recorded to be the world's second most polluted city for weeks, has now slid to the third spot with an Air Quality Index (AQI) ranking of 157, according to Air Visual. Uzbekistan's Tashkent replaced Lahore as the second most polluted city, while Delhi retained its top position with a 'very unhealthy' air quality.
According to Air Visual, the air quality ranking of Karachi previously classified as 'unhealthy' was recorded as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' with an AQI of 144. The metropolis is currently the 10th most polluted city in the world.
It may be noted that an AQI ranking between 151-200 is classified as 'very unhealthy'. Areas with an AQI ranking between 101-150 is classified as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' and may pose health risks to 'sensitive groups', i.e., people with lung diseases, children and elderly people.
For the last few years, smog, rightly being called the fifth season of Lahore, has deprived the people of sunshine and dusk-hour charm as layers of toxic smoke engulf horizon from November to February.
Official sources claimed that Pakistan has taken measures to stop crops stubble burning, a major cause of the phenomenon, and other countries should also come forward to address it. Two smog checking units had been installed in Lahore and this department was also focusing on measures to increase resources to address the issue, the sources said.
Moreover, speakers at a seminar on smog at Punjab University urged the need to create awareness regarding smog so that people could be saved from its adverse effects on health. Director EIA from Punjab government Nasim-ur-Rehman, PU Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology Prof Dr Taqi Zahid Butt, CCT Director Prof Dr Mahmood Saleem spoke on the occasion.
Nasim ur Rehman said the government had launched aggressive campaign to cope with smog with the collaboration of kiln and factory owners. He said in northern Lahore, 28 out of 34 steel factories had been made smoke free with the help of technology.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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