Smog refuses to relent as Lahore again tops list of world’s most-polluted cities
5,700 asthma patients visit Lahore hospitals in one day: CBD suspends construction activities
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Smog continued to haunt the residents of Lahore as with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 766 on Saturday, the city of gardens again topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities, leading to chest, throat and eye diseases in people, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The smog coupled with fog resulted in extremely poor visibility due to which different sections of the motorway had to be closed for traffic.
M-2, from Lahore to Kot Momin, M-3, from Lahore to Darkhana, and M-11, from Lahore to Sialkot, were all closed.
The spokesman for the Motorway Police (MP) Syed Imran Ahmad said that the roads had been closed so that motorists could remain safe.
He advised people to first avoid travelling unnecessarily and if they had no other choice, prefer travelling during the daytime. “Time between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM is most suitable for travelling,” he said, adding, “Don’t forget to turn the fog lights of your vehicles on while you are on the road.”
He also advised motorists to drive at a slow pace and keep a distance from other vehicles. “In case of an emergency or for information, dial helpline number 130.”
The situation was not much different in other cities of Punjab.
In Narowal and its surroundings, smog and fog turned everything murky due to which the people preferred to remain indoors and traffic on the roads was thin.
Upper parts of country receive rain
However, there was an improvement in air quality in the upper parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, from where moderate to heavy rainfall was reported.
It rained cats and dogs in upper Dir and some other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while it snowed over the mountains.
Rain was also reported from central Punjab cities, including Jhang.
On Friday, the Punjab government said that districts in upper Punjab namely Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang and Gujar Khan had received artificial rain. “A seed clouding technique was used for the purpose,” it informed.
The Met Office confirmed the provincial government’s statement.
At 2:00 PM on Friday, teams used a cloud seeding technique, producing artificial rain in these areas.
Experts hoped that the rain would also help reduce smog in Lahore.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated all relevant institutions, scientific experts on the successful experiment of artificial rain.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said artificial rain was tested last year with the support of the United Arab Emirates but this time the government successfully experimented it using local expertise and technology.
5,700 asthma patients visit Lahore hospitals in one day
Smog has become a nightmare for the residents of Lahore and other cities of Punjab as more and more people suffering from eye, throat and chest infections are landing at hospitals.
As per the figures released on Saturday, 5,700 asthma patients while 303 people suffering from eye infections visited Lahore’s hospitals during the last 24 hours.
Overall, 80,000 people are now asthmatic across Punjab due to exposure to extremely poor air quality, while the number of people suffering from eye infections in the province has risen to 627.
CBD suspends construction activities
On the instructions of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and to make the government of Punjab’s efforts to reduce smog, the CBD has suspended construction activities at different project sites.
CBD CEO Imran Amin has said that the department is fully supporting the provincial government’s efforts for a reduction in air pollution.
Amin has also said that the CBD staffers also sprinkle water on the project sites.
He has informed that the development projects being completed under the supervision of the CBD are near completion.
Work on the most important Walton Road upgradation project is in its final stages, the official has said, adding, “Major Ishaq Shaheed Flyover will also be opened for traffic soon.”
Reporters: Rana Faran Yameen, Durre Nayab, Zahid Chaudhry and Yasir Arafat