Smog thickens, reduces visibility

LAHORE: The layer of smog, enveloping the provincial metropolis for the past two days, have thickened further reducing the visibility here Tuesday while Met office predicted rain, which if occurred, will wash away the smog.

Environmental experts said the situation is very grave and needed to be addressed on top priority. They said the chief minister should call an emergency meeting of all departments concerned to evaluate their performance vis-à-vis smog as well as on ground preemptive actions taken so far. They said EPD should also release data about smog on daily basis so that the citizens can take preemptive measures to save their health.

Environmentalists said that the government should close down schools immediately, ban all kind of vehicular movement at points of concentration or introduce car rotation system, close down all smoke emitting industrial units and dust raising development projects besides enforcing a ban on burning garbage and stubble in farms. The government should aggressively inform all and advise them to stay indoor and avoid outdoor activities, they stressed.

As per private air quality monitors, the level of PM2.5 in city on Tuesday was around 274 ug/m3 at 1pm, 263 ug/m3 at 2pm, 225 ug/m3 at 3pm and 149.3ug/m3 at 6pm.

Environmental experts said higher levels of PM2.5 have serious impacts on human health and had such kind of situation as it is in Lahore happened in any developed country, a health emergency would have been declared there. They said consistency in smog is the result of EPD’s failure in enforcing the Punjab government’s directive of immediate stoppage to crop burning, kilns operation across the province.

It is pertinent to mention here that no government department is taking this smog seriously while in developed countries serious health warnings are issued in case of smog and citizens especially children are directed to stay indoor because this may result in serious health hazard especially diseases relating to eyes, lungs and skin.

Following the thick smog, citizens especially those travelling on two-wheeler and on foot are facing serious difficulties. “My eyes are burning and I am having a shortness of breath,” said Khurshid Butt, a resident of Rahman Gallian. He said he went to pick his children from school and on way back his 8-year-old daughter started vomiting.

On the other hand, Met officials said that continental air is prevailing over most parts of the country. They said a fresh westerly wave is likely to enter upper parts of the country on Wednesday (today) and may persist until Saturday. They predicted that rain-thunderstorm (snowfall over the hills) with gusty winds is expected at scattered places in Malakand, Hazara, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat Divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan while at isolated places in Bannu, Rawalpindi, Sargodha Divisions, Islamabad and Kashmir.

No rainfall was recorded in any part of the country. Tuesday’s minimum temperature was recorded at Skardu where mercury dropped down to -04 while in Lahore, maximum temperature was 27°C, minimum was 15.8°C and humidity level was 56 percent.