LAHORE: Smog levels fell down significantly after heavy rain lashed the province over the weekend.

The Environment Protection Department’s 24-hour readings showed that the Air Quality Index went down from over 400 to about 153 on Sunday, according to its Jail Road air pointer, while the Townhall meter read 65 and the Township read 44, all falling within the satisfactory ranking on the Air Quality Index.

According to the EPD’s mobile air station report, data was provided from two stations including Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Area between 8pm to 12pm, where the AQI was 169 and the Kot Lakhpat area from 1am to 8am (171).

Over Rs650,000 collected as fine for violating the smog policy

More importantly, even though the air quality has still not fallen below 100 in many areas, the PM (particular matter) 2.5 has remained at its lowest since after the rain. On Jail Road it was recorded as 35 ug/m3 while in Townhall and Township both it was just 5 ug/m3. Previously on the most polluted and smoggy days the PM 2.5 has been recorded higher than 500 ug/m3 by the Air Visual AQ devices even while it was raining, in crowded areas including LUMS (DHA), Gulberg, FC College, etc.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab’s daily smog report of the last 24 hours showed that on Sunday (November 15), fines worth Rs659,850 were imposed by various government departments on those violating the smog policy; 67 FIRs were registered against violators, and 34 people were arrested; 114 industries were also sealed.

In connection with brick kilns that remain to be converted to zigzag technology, out of a total of 7,530 only 1,268 have been converted. Most of these are around Faisalabad, Multan and Kasur (over 400 kilns).

Readings with the World Air Quality Index provided in the EPD’s report also seem to indicate that in comparison with 2019, the air quality levels are worse this year, by a figure of over 100 to 200 — at least for the area around the US consulate, Lahore.

For example, on November 15, 2019, the AQI was 369 while this year it was around 466. On November 16 AQI in 2019 was recorded at 286 and this year on the same day it was 303. Other readings during November are also the same.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020