LAHORE: Coughing, running nose and itchy eyes is a common sight in Lahore that has topped the world with most polluted city during the week.
The toxic air is life threatening particularly to the minors especially school going children who have been given a week off from academic activities till the dust settle down.
Health experts said that breathing the toxic air can have catastrophic health consequences, adding that strokes, heart disease, respiratory diseases and lung cancer can be triggered due to prolonged exposure.
Recently, hazardously poor air quality forced local authorities in Lahore to close primary schools for a week, officials said, following the air-quality index hit a record high over the weekend.
The steps in Lahore were part of a larger effort of the government in order to protect population especially children from respiratory-related diseases in the city of around 14 million people. Everyone in the city was required to wear a face mask, a government officials said.
Govt. Efforts to Address Issue of Smog in Lahore
Pakistani officials said that dangerous air quality levels were reported in Lahore, with visibility reducing to 800 meters because of smog drifting from India. Earlier, the officials said that the Punjab government records that smog-laden winds had increased the Air Quality Index (AQI) to hazardous levels in Lahore. Meteorological research and pollution monitoring satellites in Pakistan have tracked the smog from Delhi, Amritsar, and Chandigarh.
Talking to media persons, the provincial Secretary of the Environment Department, Raja Jahangir Anwar, has asked the public to report any smoke emissions to the helpline 1373.
Earlier, Punjab’s Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said that despite significant steps, it would take several years to eliminate smog from Lahore. In a news conference about the Anti-Smog Action Plan, Aurangzeb has also highlighted certain hotspots in Lahore are plagued by methane clouds as well as heat islands. The Minister mentioned that out of 45,000 motorcycles in Lahore, 1,800 are emitting smoke, along with 1,200 kilns, one hundred thousand cars, and 60,800 industrial units.
READ ALSO: Punjab Residents Urged to Wear Face Masks Amid Heavy Smog
She pointed out that the city has 275 days of unhealthy AQI levels throughout the year, with temperatures increasing by 3.2 degrees Celsius.
She also called on people of Lahore to declare war against smog, admitting that individual and collective efforts would still need 8 to 10 years to see the outcomes. She said that the smog in Lahore also originates from India. She further said that smog counters have also been established in the hospitals to support the citizens.
Experts and Respiratory Illnesses
The severe pollution is causing respiratory illnesses among locals, with symptoms such as fever, cough, eye irritation, and sore throats becoming widespread. Health experts advise locals, especially those with respiratory conditions, to limit their outdoor exposure during the smog.
Dr. M Nisar said that smog is deemed hazardous, particularly for sensitive groups, as dry weather persists without likely rainfall. He recommends wearing masks as well as goggles, avoiding unnecessary travel, and keeping kids indoors.
He was of the view that people with respiratory or heart diseases must consult their doctors before exposing outdoors and to avert travelling to heavily smog-affected parts of the city.
According to the officials, around fifty percent of staff must work from home as part of a “green lockdown” in Lahore, saying that barbecuing food without filters was also banned and motorized rickshaws restricted in the city. Officials said that wedding halls should close at 10 p.m. and artificial rain is expected to be used to combat the air pollution.
World Health Organization and Toxic Air
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that breathing the toxic air can have catastrophic health consequences, adding that strokes, heart disease, respiratory diseases and lung cancer can be triggered due to prolonged exposure.
Health experts said that kids are particularly vulnerable to smog as they have less developed lungs and breathe more rapidly.
Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization shortens the life expectancy of people by an average of 7.5 years, the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute said.
