Lahore:

Pakistan’s Punjab government in a bid to combat the hazardous smog conditions in the province, shut down amusement parks and museums for 10 days, from November 8 to 17, ARY News reported.

As per the ban imposed on Friday, the districts affected by this ban include Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujarat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Chiniot, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh, ARY News reported. Lodhran, Vehari, and Khanewal districts are also under smog-related restrictions.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s air pollution reached an alarming level, with seven cities topping the list of the world’s most polluted cities, as per ARY News. Pakistan’s meteorologists predicted worsening smog conditions due to low wind speeds of 11km/h around Lahore and 7km/h near Multan.

Multan’s air quality had an AQI score of 2,135, and that of Lahore was 676. Peshawar, Islamabad, Hariput, Rawalpindi and Karachi fell under the ‘hazardous air quality’ category, ARY News reported.

Earlier on Thursday, Lahore ranked number one on the most polluted city rankings, released by IQAir at a staggering 784.

Lahore’s atmosphere has remained dangerous for its residents for weeks following its position as one of the cities with the world’s highest AQI. The pollution levels have time and again touched 1,000 for the city.

As per Geo News, the prolonged exposure has increased hospital admissions for respiratory issues, with Lahore and other cities like Multan, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Gujranwala severely affected.

The persistent dangerous atmosphere has made it difficult for citizens to breathe, leaving them vulnerable to respiratory diseases, as they struggle to continue with their daily activities.

Doctors have advised the residents of Lahore to wear masks when stepping outside their homes.

Geo News reported that private and government educational institutions, teaching up to the higher secondary level, in the city as well as other districts of Pakistan’s Punjab have also been closed by the government till November 17, as per notification.

Meanwhile, the Punjab education department has ordered to keep tuition centres and academies closed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Students wear mask to protect themselves from poor air quality due to increasing smog in the city as they arrive at their school, in Lahore, Pakistan
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan on Monday (November 4, 2024) blamed winds from India for worsening smog here, urging the Indian authorities to take up the matter seriously, after the air quality index in the capital city of Pakistan’s Punjab province hit a record high over the weekend.

Toxic grey smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mainly children and elderly people, since last month when the air quality started worsening in Lahore, the city bordering India.

The concentration of PM 2.5, or tiny particulate matter, in the air, approached 450, considered hazardous, the Punjab Environment Protection Department said.

“The wind direction brings air from India into Pakistan, yet India does not seem to be taking this problem as seriously as it should,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told the media.

She urged the Indian side of Punjab state to take this matter seriously.

“Delhi ranks first in smog levels today, with Lahore following closely in second place. Delhi’s air quality index is around 393, while Lahore’s is close to 280,” she said, adding that China has been battling smog for the past 26 years.

Earlier, Punjab senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the province was going to request the Pakistan Foreign Office to take up the issue of cross-border pollution with India.

“The easterly winds from Amritsar and Chandigarh are spiking the air quality index in Lahore to over 1,000 for the past two days,” she said.

“The wind from India towards Lahore taking the smog to dangerous levels and the wind is likely to sustain its direction for at least next week. The people should take care of themselves by avoiding unnecessarily coming out of their houses. The elderly and children should be particularly careful,” Ms. Aurangzeb said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also called for climate diplomacy with India and said she would soon write to the chief minister of the Indian side of Punjab to jointly address the issue of smog.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has closed primary schools in Lahore for a week in the wake of rising smog.

The government has already closed schools for specially-abled children for three months.

Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to 19th centuries. However, rapid urbanisation and surging population growth have left little room for greenery.