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Smog once again hits Lahore

Smog once again hits Lahore
December 8, 2019
LAHORE (92 News) – Smog hit Lahore once again on Sunday forcing residents to leave their outside activities and stay indoors as much as possible. According to the Air Quality Index, the provincial capital choked by the smog as once again surfaced on No 1 in the air pollution. The city’s Air Quality Index recorded collectively air pollution of the city of garden as 4000 while it was recorded as high as 594 around Punjab Assembly. However, the air pollution was recorded 470 in Upper Mall, 591 per cent in Gulberg, 295 in Bedian Road and 317 in the Industrial area. The air pollution due to the smog put in danger the lives of million people in Lahore. AI urged the Pakistani government an urgent action for the residents of Lahore to mobilize its supporters and campaign on behalf of the entire population due to the hazardous smog engulfing the city. The doctors raised concerns about how the poor air quality poses a risk to the health of every person in Lahore, a city of more than 10 million people. “The air in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, is so toxic that people’s health and lives are in grave danger. Schools have been forced to shut down, respiratory illnesses are on the rise and people are having trouble breathing,” they added. It is pertinent to mention here that reports have shown how prolonged or heavy exposure to hazardous air can result in severe health issues including asthma, lung damage, bronchial infections, heart problems and shortened life expectancy – putting in danger people’s rights to life and to health. According to the Environment Protection Department (EPD), besides awareness campaigns steps were being taken to overcome smog and EPD teams raided and sealed brick-kilns operating with outdated technology causing environmental pollution. Multiple factors such as smoke from brick kilns, burning of stubs of crops, smoke emitting vehicles, factory emissions etc. are some of the main factors that have given impetus to smog currently.