Situation of the Pakistan’s Punjab worsen as the Air Quality Index exceeds than 2000.The smog situation is depleting in the Multan. Government is on high alert and is taking various steps to control the pollution levels. Parks and museums of the major cities of the neighboring country’s Punjab are shut till 17 November.
IQAir, Swiss Air Quality Monitor; recorded the readings at 2,135 in the morning at the largest city of the south Punjab (Pakistan). The readings were taken between 8am-9am. The concentration of the fine particulate matter in the air which has ill-effects on the health of the public was PM2.5 that means it was 947 mg/m3. This is 189.4 times more than WHO guideline. If global healthy body consumes anything more than 5 mg/m3, it is considered as hazardous.
The AQI was three times more than 300 by the 10 pm in Multan. It is considered hazardous. There are three monitors in the city of WWF-Pakistan Office, Shamsabad Colony and Multan Cant with the readings in 2316, 1635 and 1527 respectively, as per dawn.
The haze situation in Multan's neighbouring districts of Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, and Khanewal was also similar, resulting in poor visibility on roads. Due to poor air quality, Nishtar Hospital, Multan's largest medical institution, has installed two smog counters in the OPD and Emergency wards.
However, these counters did not receive any patients until Pakistani media outlets brought up the problem.
Waseem Hamid Sindhu, Multan's Deputy Commissioner, imposed a smart lockdown' on Friday. According to this, markets must close by 8 p.m., and traffic police will take harsh action against vehicles that spew smoke. The city government has also directed a crackdown on stubble and rubbish burning, as well as brick kilns that do not use zig-zag technology.
Residents of the city alerted Dawn that the laws were being broken since youngsters were playing in the grounds and streets when the schools were closed. Citizens also complained of having sore throats as a result of poor air quality. Meanwhile, Lahore's AQI was estimated to be above 1,000 around 12 a.m., making it the world's most polluted city.
According to Dawn, a "complete ban" has been imposed on public admission into parks, zoos, playgrounds, monuments, museums, and play areas in towns like as Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Chiniot, and Jhang. An official statement published on Friday stated that the offenders would face prosecution under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalizes disobedience to government orders. Public and private schools in 18 districts across the province have already closed.
According to the EPCCD secretary, pollution was caused by industrial and vehicular pollutants, as well as stubble burning. However, this wind pool exacerbated the problem. Marriyum Aurangzeb, Pakistan Punjab's senior minister, said steps were being taken to reduce haze. These include covering all cargo vehicles with tarps, warning youngsters not to go outside, and implementing fines and punishments for anyone who break the regulations. Furthermore, some food carts and outlets have been shut down for "violating environmental regulations". Several vital routes were also closed in Punjab's south and central areas due to the thick pollution.
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