Smog Alert
LAHORE: The Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department issued a fresh alert on Monday, warning of a new smog spell expected to hit Lahore within the next 24 hours. Citizens were urged to take precautionary measures as the air quality is expected to deteriorate further.
According to a department spokesperson, the worsening smog conditions are due to Indian winds blowing towards Lahore at a speed of 4 to 8 kilometers per hour.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to be severely impacted on Tuesday, prompting authorities to advise citizens to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. Those who must go outside were instructed to wear masks for protection against the harmful pollutants in the air.
In response to the growing smog crisis, the provincial environment department has taken several emergency measures.
A “Smog War Room” has been established at the department’s headquarters, where focal persons will provide daily briefings to the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director general and other officials regarding efforts to mitigate the smog. A formal notification regarding these measures was issued by the EPA director general.
Further, the department announced mandatory leaves for students in Lahore’s special education centers who are suffering from illnesses related to air pollution, including cardiac and respiratory diseases.
These leaves will be in effect from November 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, to protect vulnerable children from the dangerous air quality.
The situation in Lahore has become alarming, with the city ranking second among the most polluted cities in the world on Monday. The city recorded an AQI of 382, indicating a hazardous level of air pollution.
On Sunday, the AQI had exceeded 1,000, reaching an unprecedented level of 1,194—far above the “dangerous” threshold of 300. According to data from IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company, the concentration of PM2.5 pollutants, fine particulate matter harmful to health, was 266 at 9:30 AM on Monday, 53.2 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) acceptable level.
In light of these conditions, Lahore authorities have implemented several emergency measures. Primary schools have been closed for a week to protect children from exposure to the hazardous air.
Additionally, work-from-home mandates have been introduced to limit the number of people commuting in the city. Citizens were also advised to keep their doors and windows closed and minimize travel to reduce exposure to the harmful pollutants.
To further combat the smog, a temporary ban has been imposed on rickshaws, and construction activities in certain areas have been halted.
Factories and construction sites that fail to comply with pollution control measures face the threat of permanent closure as the government intensifies its efforts to reduce air pollution levels in Lahore.
These measures reflect the urgency of the situation, as Lahore continues to grapple with one of the most severe smog crises in its history. Authorities have urged citizens to cooperate fully with the guidelines to safeguard public health.
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