Deadly smog disrupts life in South Punjab districts

MULTAN: Polluted winds continued engulfing most parts of the South Punjab and Multan, which remained the most polluted city after Lahore in the province.

The smog causes deterioration in the Air Quality Index and the AQI reading measured in Multan 955, Dera Ghazi Khan 247 and Bahawalpur 206 on Monday morning. The health practitioners say the deterioration in AQI makes the environment hazardous and very unhealthy. The health effects would be immediately felt by sensitive groups and should avoid outdoor activity. Healthy individuals are likely to experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation; consider staying indoors and rescheduling outdoor activities.

Bad air continues to haunt Multan and several other parts of South Punjab despite authorities’ desperate efforts to curb smog.Meanwhile, the district administration has tightened its grip against smoke-emitting vehicles to prevent smog. The administration has impounded 100 more commercial vehicles and trucks causing environmental pollution.

On the order of Deputy Commissioner Wasim Hamid Sindhu, 70 buses were also taken off-road. The task force headed by Deputy Commissioner Wasim Hamid Sindhu conducted operations at Vehari Chowk and general bus stands. The administration impounded vehicles emitting smoke and fined over Rs 500,000 to the owners. The deputy commissioner visited the awareness camp and distributed masks among the citizens.

RTA Secretary Mohsin Nisar, District Police and Environment Department officers were also present.The deputy commissioner said all the resources are being used to keep the atmosphere of the saints clean. More than 30 kilns were completely demolished and filled with water in the district. The Kilns not using zigzag technology are completely closed, he added.

More than 20 industrial units have been sealed in two days, Wasim Hamid Sindhu said. No commercial vehicles would be allowed to run on the road without technical inspection.At least 50 cases have been registered for burning garbage and crop residue, he added.

Moreover, traveling on motorways M-3 and M-4 is risky due to uncertain visibility in dense smog, he told. The Motorways Police asked the citizens to confirm from motorway police before traveling. The Motorway Police have also closed M-2, M-4 and M-5 owing to poor visibility, caused by smog and placed diversions on Sunday night. The Motorway Police opened M-3 on Monday morning after improved visibility. The Motorway Police spokesperson Inspector Gulzar said that due to improved visibility in beats-13,14, 15 &16 of M-3 and as recommended by the concerned beat Supervisory Officers, the Motorway M-3 is opened for all kinds of vehicular traffic.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Environment Protection Agency through a notification here on Monday restricted commercial and outdoor activities in markets in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan districts under the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

Punjab Environment Protection Agency Director General Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh said in a notification that an extraordinary increase in the number of lung patients and respiratory diseases, allergies, eye and throat irritation, pink eye disease were being reported. Several cases of conjunctivitis/pink eye due to bacterial or viral infection were also reported, he told.

Smoke, dust or chemical exposure was a serious and imminent danger to the public health therefore it was imperative to take all necessary measures for prevention and control, he added. The notification also imposed restrictions in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala including a closure of all outdoor activities including outdoor sporting events, exhibitions and festivals, with religious exemptions on outside dining at restaurants, gatherings, indispensable religious rituals including but not limited to last, rituals, funeral prayers, burials and related ceremonies. The hops, bazaars and shopping malls close at 8 pm. However, the following sectors were announced exempted from the ban, including pharmacy/medical stores, medical facilities, medical laboratories, vaccination centers, petrol pumps, oil depots, ovens, bakeries, grocery/grocery stores, milk/dairy shops, sweet shops, vegetable/fruit shops, chicken/meat shops, e-commerce/postal/courier services and utility services (electricity, natural gas, internet and cellular networks/telecom).

The notification said that this order shall come into force from November 11, 2024 and would remain in force till November 17, 2024 (Sunday).Meanwhile, Multan Division Commissioner Maryam Khan ordered all markets to close at 8pm at any cost. She said that a joint crackdown of administration and police against smog violators was ongoing across the division. She served the ultimatum to close all kilns, industrial state units due to pollution in all four districts of Multan division.

The commissioner ordered all the Assistant Commissioners to monitor the situation personally. She expressed indignation at the poor performance of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Transport. A zero-tolerance policy should be adopted against those elements causing smog, she added.