New Delhi: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore reached a staggering 1900 on Saturday, prompting authorities to take urgent steps to prevent pollution hazards on health. A thick blanket of smog enveloped Pakistan’s second largest city.
As per the data released by the provincial government and Swiss group IQAir, the city of Lahore on Sunday topped the real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities after recording its highest pollution levels near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday.
Primary schools closed for a week
To check air pollution, as an emergency response, the authorities in Lahore have issued work-from-home directives and declared that primary schools in various cities should be shut.
The government has announced the closure of primary schools for a week and parents have been advised to ensure children wear masks, Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said during a press conference. To combat vehicular pollution, 50% of office staff will work from home, said Aurangzeb.
Govt advisory issued
Amid the monstrous pollution levels, the government issued an advisory asking everyone to stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut, and avoid travel and venturing out of the house until and unless necessary. Reuters reported that all hospitals have been armed with smog counters and instructed to be ready for exigencies.
Measures to check pollution
A ban has also been slapped on three-wheelers and construction in certain areas has been stopped to ensure that the pollution levels don’t rise. Factories and construction sites which fail to adhere to these regulations could be closed down, the minister said.
India blamed for high AQI
Punjab’s senior minister Aurangzeb called the air pollution situation as “unexpected”. She said the growing harmful pollution levels can be attributed to winds carrying pollutants from neighbouring India. “This cannot be solved without talks with India,” she said, and added the provincial government would start discussions with its bigger neighbour through Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
