Lahore air quality slightly improves

LAHORE: With the change of wind direction, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the provincial capital slightly came down to 192 here on Thursday.

Met office said continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country and the present meteorological conditions indicated that AQI will remain “unhealthy” in coming days. According to meteorologists, the air pollution index in Lahore has changed due to a change in direction of eastern winds and due to this changing wind speed and direction, Lahore came down to the fourth place in ten top most polluted cities across the world.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to strictly continue the measures to prevent smog and reduce pollution regardless of the change in winds. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has appealed to the citizens of Lahore to continue fight against smog as a team as it was a collective life and death problem, the government alone cannot deal with this problem.

Met officials predicted that dry weather was expected in most parts of the country while cold in hilly areas during (morning /night). Light smog was likely to persist in northeast Punjab during morning hours. Thursday’s highest maximum temperature was recorded at Mithi where mercury reached 40°C while in Lahore it was 33°C and minimum was 20.3°C.

Smog: EPA imposes ban on special children schools: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has imposed a ban on opening of schools of special children and directed the authorities concerned to carry out online school classes for special children.

EPA DG Imran Sheikh said that school closure measures taken for health of children with respiratory, allergy and heart disease. He said an advisory alert was also issued in this regard. He said due to smog, special children have been prevented from coming to school and all special education schools have been instructed to arrange online classes. He said that two barbeque restaurants were sealed in Green Lockdown Area last night due to violation of smog SOPs, 9 kilns and four industrial units have been demolished in Punjab while construction was prohibited in Green Lockdown Area and offices inspection of diesel generators will take place from today (Friday).