‘Alarming’ levels of smoke, not smog engulfing Lahore: Punjab chief meteorologist – Pakistan

As the schools in Lahore remained closed on Thursday for the first time due to the prevalence of "smog" in the city, Punjab chief meteorologist Mahr Sahibzad Khan said that current smoke levels should not be confused with "smog."

"The components of the smog become visible after the smoke and fog combine. So far, the fog has not developed," he said as he spoke with DawnNewsTV.

"The fog has its own criteria under which it develops: visibility must be reduced to less than 1 kilometer, humidity levels must be greater than 90 percent, the air must be still and the sky clear. Only then are there possibilities for fog, "Khan explained.

"These phenomena (required for fog) are not present at present. There is smoke, due to emissions from cars and factories, as well as cross-border smoke from India due to crop burning. Therefore, smoke levels have increased significantly due to these factors. " And there are components in the smoke that increase the air quality index. People start calling it smog, but it isn't. However, there are alarmingly high levels of smoke. "

Examine: No, India is not responsible for the smog of Punjab. This is what is really happening.

Khan said it had rained yesterday and today there is also a chance of rain. "The weather is nice and it looks like it will be tomorrow too," he added.

The Lahore air quality index (AQI) seemed to have improved on Thursday compared to the previous day, falling to 106 late in the afternoon, which falls under the category & # 39; Unhealthy for sensitive groups & # 39; .

On Wednesday, Punjab Prime Minister Usman Buzdar had Announced The closure of public and private schools in Lahore today after the sudden increase in smog levels from less than 200 to more than 500.

From November 9 to 12, the city's AQI will be in the category & # 39; Insalubres & # 39 ;, shows the daily index.

& # 39; Horrible & # 39;

After the unprecedented measure of closing schools yesterday, journalists turned to Twitter to express their alarm at the constantly rising levels of air pollution.

Amnesty International's chief of communications, Rimmel Mohydin, criticized the government for continually monitoring pollution levels and "never doing anything."

Iman Zia also shared his "smog" experience, saying that he had entered his house.

"Last night I slept barely because of the throbbing heaviness of the smog that fell into the room. I was also sincerely terrifying as I went out into the hall and noticed the smoke INSIDE THE HOUSE." she wrote.

Omar Waraich, in response to Prime Minister Buzdar's notification about the closure of schools due to a "sudden increase in smog," said the government had had plenty of time to deal with rising pollution levels.

"You had 15 months to deal with this. There is nothing" sudden "in this environmental crisis that is violating people's human rights to education, health and even life," he said.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Health Department issued a notice to citizens that tells them to take certain measures to protect themselves against the effects of pollution.

The Director of the Department of Environmental Protection of Punjab, Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Lodhi, said that the Punjab government, before November, had decided to close conventional furnaces in consultation with the Smog Commission, which had been responsible for identifying the causes of the generation of fog and formulate a policy prescribing a plan to protect the health of people.

Punjab's Minister of Environmental Protection, Bao Muhammad Rizwan, said the Punjab government has taken several emergency measures to counteract smog, including a strict ban on burning crops and solid waste.

He said that last year more than 100 people were arrested for burning crops and this year hundreds of factories have been closed for not having the proper emission control equipment.