To safeguard students and reduce pollution, authorities in Punjab province, Pakistan, have ordered schools in several districts to close until November 17 and switch to online instruction. The province, which is home to more than half of Pakistan's 240 million inhabitants, had already closed primary schools, restricted tuk-tuks, and closed certain BBQ eateries in megacity Lahore."We are closing all higher secondary schools due to the predicted wind and air quality index," said Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister of Punjab, at a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday. According to live statistics by Swiss organization IQAir, Lahore has a pollution index score of 1,165, followed by New Delhi, India's capital, with 299."This morning's AQI exceeded 1,100... "I appeal to citizens not to leave their homes for the sake of God," Aurangzeb added.
Doctors noted that Lahore's record-high air pollution is driving more people to hospitals and private clinics, while officials warned that a full lockdown would be on the horizon if citizens do not wear face masks and adhere to other smog-related instructions. According to doctors, the majority of people are complaining about having a cough or feeling their eyes are burning.
"Tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory diseases were treated in hospitals and clinics in a week," Salman Kazmi, vice president of the Pakistan Medical Association in Punjab, told the Associated Press. Other cities affected include Faisalabad, Pakistan's third-largest, Multan, and Gujranwala.
Officials informed the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the Punjab province has also established a "smog war room" to combat extreme pollution. The war room will bring together professionals from eight departments, with a single person in charge of coordinating duties ranging from farm waste disposal to traffic management. The officials noted that twice daily sessions will be held to analyze data and forecasts to advise stakeholders on pollution-fighting efforts and issue daily alerts. The Pakistani government has also stated that it is looking into methods to create artificial rainfall to tackle pollution. However, Wednesday's index score in Lahore dropped short of last week's historic high of 1,900 in some parts, which was more than 120 times above recommended levels, triggering a suspension of some building activity and instructions to work from home.
At the time, Minister Aurangzeb attributed the poisonous air to pollution that was drifting just 25 kilometers (16 miles) across the Indian border. The northern regions of India are also experiencing significant pollution. The Punjab administration will request that Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs discuss the problem with India's Ministry of External Affairs, Aurangzeb told the Indian Express newspaper in an interview published Wednesday. Every winter, South Asia experiences intense smog. It occurs when cold air traps dust, pollutants, and smoke from agricultural fires. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), almost 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution, which accounts for half of all pediatric pneumonia deaths.
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