Air pollution in Pakistan’s second largest city, Lahore, reached a record today. The measured values are eighty times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) limits, the authorities told AFP.
According to the air quality index, the air in the city is considered bad after crossing 180. But this morning in Lahore, it went up to 1067 and then dropped to around 300 during the morning.
“We have never crossed the 1,000 mark before,” said Jahangir Anvar, a member of the regional government responsible for environmental protection.
At the end of last week, due to the smog, the authorities already banned children from playing sports outside, the ban is valid for three months. In order to improve the situation in the city of thirteen million, the authorities have banned the entry of rickshaws with two-stroke engines into the worst-affected neighborhoods. Restaurants are not allowed to grill unless they use filters. The public should work from home from Monday to reduce traffic. Construction work will also be suspended, and street food vendors, who often cook over open fires, must close their stalls by 8 p.m. at the latest.
The city is regularly shrouded in smog, a mixture of fog and pollutant emissions created by the combustion of low-quality diesel engines, smoke from the seasonal burning of agricultural waste and the winter cold. Long-term exposure to smog can lead to heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory disease and stroke, according to the WHO.
Source: www.tyden.cz
