Smog has been making life difficult for residents on the streets of Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, for years, but the situation is getting worse every year. Additionally, few people can afford air purifiers that minimize the damage caused by toxic particles that enter through doors and windows.
Pakistan. Schools and parks were closed. smog level too high
Lahore, which consistently ranks as the world's most polluted city, reached record levels this month. Due to the high health risks, the authorities have decided, among other things, to close the following facilities: school. In Punjab, children will remain at home until November 17th.
Restricting movement, especially in the morning when most people go to work and when pollution concentrations are highest, is aimed at reducing the risk of illness among the youngest.
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– Children are constantly coughing and always have allergies. Rafia Iqbal, a 38-year-old primary school teacher, told AFP that she saw most of the children at school falling ill. Her husband, Mohammad Safdar, added that the level of pollution was making “normal life impossible.” “We can't move, we can't go outside, we can't do anything,” he admitted.
The authorities have also decided to temporarily close or restrict access to: Parks, playgrounds, museums, zoos and recreational areas. Additionally, until November 17, so-called tuk-tuks, popular vehicles in Asia, and restaurant operations that use grills without proper filters.
According to international standards, an air quality index above 300 is dangerous to health. In Pakistan, these values regularly exceed the 1,000 scale, with officials reminding that last week pollution levels in the city of Multan exceeded 2,000.
Pakistan has had a smog problem for many years.
The smog problem is boomeranging back to Pakistan and becomes very serious in winter. Pollutants emitted by factories and vehicles mix with pollutants from stubble burned by farmers. Last year, an experiment with artificial rain was carried out in Punjab to minimize the threat, and this year water cannons were used to sprinkle water on streets, but this too did not yield the intended results.
On Tuesday alone, 900 people were hospitalized in Lahore with symptoms typical of smog “poisoning,” including difficulty breathing, coughing fits and red eyes. Dr. Qulat-ul-Ain, who has been a doctor for 15 years, acknowledged that the threat is becoming increasingly serious. “There is much more smog this year than in previous years, and many more patients are suffering from its effects,” he told AFP in an interview.
See also: Explosion near Pakistan airport. 2 people died
Over the past few days, levels of pollutant PM2.5 particles in Punjab have been dozens of times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) considers acceptable. Dr Alia Haider believes that awareness campaigns need to be introduced as many people are still not aware of the dangers associated with smog.
– We are trapped in our own poison. She admitted it was like a gas cloud covering the city.
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