Despite steps being taken by the Punjab government to tackle smog, there is no marked improvement in the air quality of major cities of the province, especially Lahore, where air quality index (AQI) recorded at 477 on Monday, again put the city on top of the world’s most polluted cities. Lahore was followed by Indian capital New Delhi where the AQI stood at 241, while Tashkent in Uzbekistan emerged as the third most polluted city.

While the air quality in Lahore is toxic, it is not much different in other cities of Punjab, including Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan. Smog is becoming dense in Qabula near Sahiwal as there is no check on brick kilns operating in the suburbs of the city. Consequently, pollution is increasing with each passing day and people are falling sick as eye, throat and chest infections are on the rise.

Doctors have advised people to take precautionary measures. They have asked people to wear facemasks and glasses, while people, on the other hand, have demanded the government to take action against the brick kilns owners. On the other hand, air quality in Karachi is also hazardous for human health as the AQI in the city touched 142 mark on Monday.

Predicting hot weather for the port city, the Met Office said that the maximum temperature in the city would go up to 36 degrees Celsius, while the humidity level in the morning was recorded at 90 per cent. Breeze was blowing from the north-east at a speed of six kilometers per hour.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)