Lahore, with AQI recorded at 298, again emerged as the most polluted city in the world on Monday as the Punjab government deployed anti-smog guns to keep the polluted air from India from entering the city on the occasion of Diwali. The provincial government, on the other hand, deployed anti-smog guns at Thokar Niaz Beg and other polluted areas of the provincial capital. The staffers of WASA, LDA, district and municipal departments sprinkled water on roads besides ensuring that garbage and residue of the crops were not burnt in the areas lying in their jurisdiction.

The Punjab Smog Monitoring Center predicted that polluted air, blowing at a speed of five to seven kilometers, from Indian cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana and Haryana would enter Lahore, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Multan today, which would badly affect the air quality in these cities. The center forecast that the air quality in the provincial capital would be worst in the morning and at night.

On the other hand, doctors advised asthma patients, children and the elderly to avoid stepping out of their homes due to extremely poor air quality. They advised others to wear facemasks before stepping out of their homes. Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also urged people to take precautionary measures. She added that the role played by each individual in the reduction of smog brought about a real change. In New Delhi, which stood second in the ranking of the world’s cities with worst air quality, light fog and sunshine was expected.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)