Pakistani Pollution Punjab Faces A Health Emergency
November 15, 2024 / By Zunair Tahir / Pakistan News
Nearly 2 million people in Pakistan’s Punjab province are affected by the extreme pollution, prompting the administration to declare a health emergency and close two cities.
Due to haze, Pakistan’s Punjab province closed two cities and declared a health emergency on Friday.
As the Punjab state is choked by pollution, about 2 million people have been unwell, according to AP.
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the health emergency during a news conference. Additionally, the minister pledged steps to address the escalating problem.
At the moment, smog is a national catastrophe.In a month or a year, it won’t all be over. After three days, we will assess the circumstances before announcing a new plan,” Aurangzeb stated.
As a result of the dangerous air quality, schools will be closed for an additional week. Universities and other educational institutions will move to online instruction to protect pupils, according to Aurangzeb, who was cited by AFP.
According to the article, in order to address the current situation, all educational institutions are closed till further notice, medical staff’s vacation time has been canceled, restaurants will close by 4 pm, and takeout will be available at 8 pm. Construction has been halted in Multan and Lahore due to a lockdown enforced by the government.
On Friday, the 11 million-person city of Lahore reported an air quality index (AQI) of 600. An AQI of 300 or above is considered unhealthy.
According to specialists quoted in the AP piece, smog is a result of emissions from numerous automobiles, industrial and construction operations, and crop burning for agricultural purposes.
However, Pakistan’s weather service predicts that in the upcoming days, rain and wind would improve the air quality and minimize haze in the Punjab region.
Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, a professor at Allama Iqbal Medical College and Jinnah Hospital Lahore, is quoted in the paper as saying that the government should take preventative action before the fog becomes worse.
“Every patient has a respiratory tract infection, and the disease is widespread, so it is more of an emergency than COVID-19,” Ashraf told AP.
