Residents of the Pakistani province of Punjab have been struggling with record air pollution since the beginning of November. A huge cloud of thick smog over Pakistan and neighboring India, where the situation is also dire, can be seen in an image taken by a NASA satellite.
The air quality in the cities of Punjab province is among the worst in the world. For about a week, the air quality index in Lahore, which has a population of 14 million, has regularly exceeded 1,000 units. It is assumed that above 180 units the air quality is poor, and above 300 – dangerous. In some places, the concentration of PM2.5 dust pollution is over 110 times higher than the level considered safe by the World Health Organization.
Cold air retains many pollutants from, among others, the burning of agricultural waste and exhaust fumes from cars. It also reaches Pakistan smog from India, where pollution levels are also high. In the province of Delhi, where the capital of the country is located, the air quality exceeds permissible standards many times.
Intense smog in this region occurs every year in the autumn and winter, but this time the situation is exceptionally bad.
A Nov. 3 satellite image released by the U.S. space agency shows smog blanketing the province of Punjab and much of India, reaching far beyond the capital, New Delhi.
Smog over Lahore and New Delhi on November 3, visible in the satellite image NASA Earth Observatory/tvnmeteo.pl
Many restrictions for residents
Due to such severe air pollution, schools and government institutions in Punjab are to remain closed until November 17. On Friday, local authorities also closed all parks, playgrounds, museums, zoos and historical sites in 18 districts for 10 days. Outdoor events, including sporting events, exhibitions and festivals, were banned on Monday. The opening hours of shops and markets have also been significantly reduced in the hope that fewer people will leave their homes.
The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, said on Monday that the health of 11 million children is at risk due to smog. He emphasized that previously 12 percent of deaths among children under five were caused by air pollution. – Doubling and tripling the amount of pollutants in the air will have devastating consequences, especially for children and pregnant women – he emphasized.
Smog in the Pakistani city of LahorePAP/EPA/RAHAT DAR
The Pakistani government has ordered the mandatory wearing of masks, but this has been widely ignored, the AP noted. The government also announced that it is researching methods of artificially causing rain to combat pollution – taking such a step is being considered in India.
PAP, CNN, NASA, tvnmeteo.pl
Main photo source: NASA Earth Observatory