The smog situation in Punjab continued to worsen with Multan recording alarmingly high Air Quality Index (AQI) levels surpassing the 2,000 mark on Friday morning, Swiss monitor IQAir reported. The AQI reached 2,135 for the city, so hazardous that the provincial government declared all the parks, museums, and schools would be closed until November 17 due to persistent pollution across the region.
The concentration of PM2.5, the most hazardous particulates to a person’s respiratory health, stood at 947 micrograms per cubic meter in Multan, nearly 189 times higher than the guideline value set by the World Health Organization. According to officials, readings of the air quality index in different neighborhoods of the city, such as Shamsabad Colony and Multan Cantonment, recorded over 1,500 on Friday.
In response, Multan’s deputy commissioner, Waseem Hamid Sindhu, has implemented a ‘smart lockdown,’ early market closures, and cracking down on traffic police vehicles emitting excessive smoke. He has also banned stubble burning and taken action against unlicensed brick kilns. Provincial government organizations have closed public spaces in several districts, including Lahore where AQI reached 1,000. This made the city the world’s most polluted for a day.
The health crisis has sharpened over the air quality crisis and in this light, smog counters have been installed at Nishtar Hospital as it was predicting a rise in respiratory cases. Pulmonologist Dr Irfan Malik attributes most of the patients with asthma and throat problems, reflecting the burden on hospitals.
They associate India’s winds as aggravating factors in achieving such highest pollution levels ever witnessed. Punjab’s Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb declared she had measures planned to control further emissions, calling up the locals to reduce outdoor explorations to protect themselves.
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