• ‘Smart lockdown’ in place as PM2.5 concentration way over WHO limit
• Smog envelops other south Punjab cities too
• Govt closes parks, museums; sections of motorways shut
• Officials continue to blame India for poor air quality

LAHORE: The smog situation in Punjab continues to aggravate as the air quality index (AQI) reading in Multan crossed the 2,000-mark on Friday morning.

The provincial government has also closed parks and museums till Nov 17 as air quality worsened to record level in all major cities of Punjab.

Multan, the largest city in south Punjab, recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 2,135 between 8am and 9am, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitor.

The concentration of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — was 947 micrograms per cubic metre, which is 189.4 times above the WHO guideline, as per IQAir.

The global health body considers anything over five micrograms per cubic metre as hazardous.

The AQI in Multan rea­ched 980 by 10pm, at least three times over the 300 mark considered “hazardous”.

Three air quality monitors in the city at the WWF-Pakistan Office, Shamsabad Colony and Multan Cantonment showed AQI readings of 2,316, 1,635 and 1,527, respectively, at 10pm.

The smog situation in Multan’s surrounding districts of Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, and Khanewal was also the same, resulting in reduced visibility on roads.

The administration of Nishtar Hospital, Multan’s biggest medical facility, has established two smog counters in the OPD and Emergency wards due to hazardous air quality.

However, these counters did not receive any patients until the filing of this report.

Multan Deputy Commi­ssioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu on Friday imposed a ‘smart lockdown’. The markets have been directed to close till 8pm and traffic police to take strict action against vehicles emitting smoke.

The city administration has also directed a crackdown against stubble and waste burning and brick kilns operating without zig zag technology.

Rao Noushad, a resident of Multan, told Dawn that the rules were being flouted as children were playing in the grounds and streets as the schools were closed.

He also complained of a sore throat due to bad air quality.

‘Winds from India’

The AQI in Lahore was also reported above 1,000 at 12am, making it the most polluted city in the world leaving behind Delhi.

A “complete ban” has been imposed on the entry of people in parks, zoos, playgrounds, monuments, museums and play lands in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Baha­uddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari and Khanewal.

An official notification issued on Friday said the violators would face action under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalised disobedience of government orders.

Public and private schools in 18 districts of the province have already been shut.

Meanwhile, officials in Punjab continue to blame India for the worsening air pollution and attributed the “unprecedented” situation this year to wind patterns.

Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar told Dawn that a cross border wind phenomena was creating heavy smog in the south Punjab cities including Bahawalpur, Multan and Rajanpur.

He said the “wind pool” entered south Punjab from cities of Bikaner and Jaipur in India’s Rajasthan states which share the border with the region.

Even though industrial and vehicular emissions and stubble burning were resulting in smog, this wind pool also had turned the situation worse, according to the EPCCD secretary.

Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said steps were being taken to curb the smog and all cargo trucks have been directed to cover their loads with tarps.

She urged the public, particularly children, to not go outdoors as a “precaution to safeguard lives”.

Ms Aurangzeb said actions were being taken against private generators and vehicles causing pollution in Lahore.

The authorities seized 47 vehicles, issued fines to 31, and imposed penalties totaling Rs550,000.

Additionally, several food stalls and outlets have been closed for “violating environmental regulations”.

Reduced visibility

Several key roads were closed on Friday as visibility in south and central regions was badly affected due to the thick smog.

The Lahore-Abdul Hakeem M3 Motorway was closed from Lahore to Jaranwala and Faizpur to Durkhana while no traffic was allowed between Shorkot and Gojra at the Faisalabad-Pindi Bhattian M4 Motorway.

The Lahore-Islamabad M2 Motorway was also closed for traffic from Lahore to Sheikhupura.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024