LAHORE: Despite green lockdown and other measures being taken by the Punjab government, the intensity of air pollution in Lahore on Saturday reached dangerous levels when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached over 1000 mark.
According to climate experts, smoke clouds generated from crop residue burning in Indian states are being carried into Pakistan by strong winds, causing Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) to reach a critical level of 1000.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has warned that this severe smog may cause breathing difficulties and other health issues for Lahore residents. She urged citizens to avoid unnecessary outings and to wear masks, especially those with respiratory, chest, or heart conditions.
Experts predict that this smog is likely to persist for the next 48 hours. NASA has also released an aerial map showing the smoke from crop burning in Indian regions, significantly impacting air quality in Pakistan, claimed a handout issued by the government.
Maryam Aurangzeb in her statement reported that Lahore’s air quality has shown some improvement later in the day, with the AQI dropping from 1000 to 283. This reduction in pollution levels is attributed to a change in wind direction southward from India. However, experts caution that wind patterns might shift again, potentially causing smog to intensify once more.
Winds from the Indian city of Ajnala are blowing towards Muridke, near Lahore, increasing the risk of renewed air pollution. Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb advised the public to wear masks and avoid unnecessary outings to safeguard their health.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has accelerated its cleanup operations to combat smog. A “green lockdown” is underway in various areas of Lahore, especially around Shimla Pahari and adjacent areas, with continuous water spraying to reduce air pollution.
In addition, actions have been taken against illegal encroachments along Empress Road up to the Railway Headquarters and Haji Camp. Inspections of generators at PTCL, Pakistan Stock Exchange, Lahore Stock Exchange, and Aiwan-e-Iqbal are also in progress. Food points and generators are being closely monitored to control smoke emissions effectively.
Maryam Aurangzeb announced that the Lahore Parking Company has increased its workforce to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicular emissions. Over 50 smoke-emitting street carts have been seized, while the cleaning and covering of trash and debris in open areas continue to mitigate smog effects across the city.
AFP adds: The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, spiked at 1,067 — well above the level of 300 considered ‘dangerous’ - according to data from IQAir.
“We have never reached a level of 1,000,” Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore told AFP.
“The air quality index will remain high for the next three to four days,” Anwar said.
The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 610 — more than 40 times the limit of 15 in a 24-hour period considered healthy by the WHO.
“As a mother, I am full of anxiety,” 42-year-old Lilly Mirza told AFP from the choked city.
“Last year was not this bad, it was much better. Somebody needs to tell us what has happened. Did a pollution bomb explode somewhere?”
Mirza said she felt “completely terrorised” after taking her son to a sports match in one of the pollution hot spots: “I came back home so stressed.”
Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the WHO saying strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be triggered by prolonged exposure.
Smog is particularly pronounced in winter, when cold, denser air traps emissions from poor-quality fuels used to power the city’s vehicles and factories at ground level.
The smell of toxic fumes has become familiar to 40-year-old painter Rehmat, who goes by one name.
“What can a poor painter like me do if the government can’t fix this? I will keep the mask on and work,” he told AFP.
Last month, authorities banned schoolchildren from outdoor exercise until January and adjusted school hours to prevent children from travelling when the pollution is most punishing.
Children are particularly vulnerable because they have less developed lungs and breathe more rapidly, taking in more air relative to their size than adults.
Last week, the provincial environmental protection agency announced new restrictions in four “hot spots” in the city.
Tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines are banned, as are restaurants that barbecue without filters.
Government offices and private companies will have half their staff work from home starting Monday.
Construction work has been halted and street and food vendors, who often cook over open fires, must close at 8 pm.
Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the WHO shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.
According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are associated with air pollution.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024