LAHORE: Multan topped Pakistan’s most polluted cities for the second consecutive day on Saturday, with the air quality index (AQI) reaching 1,914 in the early hours.

In Lahore, the AQI remained consistently hazardous over the last 24 hours, peaking at 970, briefly ranking it the most polluted city in the world.

In Multan, AQI readings from monitors at WWF-Pakistan Office, Shamsabad Colony, and Multan Cantonment measured 1,826, 1,421, and 1,326, respectively, as of 10pm. As smog worsened across Punjab, the provincial government announced stringent restrictions, including a ten-day closure of public venues and the suspension of school activities.

Lahore’s historic sites, including the Lahore Fort, Shalimar Garden, and Jahangir’s Tomb, will remain closed until November 17, according to the Walled City Authority.

Additionally, Lahore High Court ordered markets to close by 8pm, with trade activities paused on Sundays.

The authorities had closed the M1 Motorway from Charsadda to Akbar Pura, the M2 Motorway from Lahore to Kot Sarwar, the M3 Motorway from Samandari to Darkhana, and the M4 Motorway from Pindi Bhattian to Abdul Hakeem. Moreover, traffic was restricted on the M5 Motorway from Shersha to Jhangra, while the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway was also completely blocked.

Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar shared satellite images showing reduced stubble burning on the Pakistani side of the border, contrasting with dense clusters on the Indian side.

Senior Minister Mariam Aurangzeb led a smog steering committee meeting, with key decisions aimed at strengthening smog mitigation.

She said that Punjab’s advocate general will represent the government in Lahore High Court, and the smog dossier will also be submitted to the court.

She said the law minister and Lahore DC and CTO will coordinate with the Bar Association to improve traffic at Katchery.

She said that the authorities would regulate light and heavy traffic within Lahore and enforce court-mandated shop closures.

She said the traffic police will begin enforcing mask mandates on roads, using Punjab Safe City cameras for monitoring, while markets will require shopkeepers to wear masks and encourage customer compliance.

She directed the EPCCD secretary to explore cloud seeding in Multan, and offices across the province will operate at 50 per cent capacity until further notice.

SMOG MITIGATION: Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the government will present `Smog Dossier’ at the Lahore High Court.

On Saturday Ms Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of the Smog Steering Committee and decided that the Punjab Advocate General would appear in the court to inform it the government was going to implement the smog mitigation order immediately and effectively.

The meeting decided that the closing of shops should be done as per the directions of the court. “City Traffic Police will enforce the compulsory mask wearing on roads. The cameras of Punjab Safe City will provide support in this regard. In markets, shopkeepers shall wear masks and encourage citizens to do so as well.”

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024