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Lahore residents went about their lives in a twilight gloom that
lingered over the city for hours, reducing visibility to around
100 meters (yards).
Toxic smog shrouded the city of 14 million people and other
parts of Punjab since last month. It has forced the government
to close schools and other public places until Nov. 17 and keep
government employees at home in 18 of Punjab's districts,
including its capital city Lahore.
“These measures to ban the entry of people to such places are
part of the Punjab government's efforts aimed at protecting the
health of people”, said Sajid Bashir, the spokesperson for the
Environment Protection Department in Punjab.
“We want people to stay at home and avoid unnecessarily
traveling,” he said.
On Friday, a court in Lahore also ordered the government to shut
all markets after 8 p.m. Authorities have already banned
barbecuing food without filters and ordered wedding halls to
close by 10 p.m.
Bashir said Lahore was the world's most polluted city on Friday,
with Air Quality Index readings of over 600. Anything over 300
is considered hazardous to health.
Schools were closed earlier in the smog-hit districts to protect
the health of children. That will affect the education of more
than 20 million students, according associations representing
private and government schools.
Bashir said he hoped the smog would start improving next week.
However, air pollution has already sickened tens of thousands of
people in Lahore alone.
The province saw a record high Air Quality Index reading of over
1,100 on Wednesday. That day, Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior
minister in the Punjab province, urged residents on Wednesday to
wear face masks and avoid unnecessary travel voluntarily, and
said that “otherwise, the government will be forced into a
complete lockdown.”
According an international charity, Save the Children, millions
of children will miss classes due to the closure of schools
until Nov. 17. Khuram Gondal, Save the charity's country
director, has urged authorities to urgently address air
pollution, including through long-term solutions, to create a
better future for children.
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