LAHORE: A smog war room was established by Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday as conditions continue to worsen in Lahore.
The committee will include officials from various departments, including the aforementioned EPA, the Department of Agriculture, Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC), Transport Department, and officials from the local government.
The war room’s responsibilities include reviewing the weather, air forecasts, and the performance and actions of field officers. Advisories will be issued daily after being approved by the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency, Imran Hamid Sheikh.
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The news comes in light of worsening conditions in Lahore, with the air quality index (AQI) reaching a height of 666 on Tuesday morning. Anything above 301 is considered hazardous and will likely affect everyone. The AQI has since dropped to 297, which is still considered very unhealthy.
The EPA has enforced mandatory leaves for students in Lahore’s special education centres suffering respiratory, cardiac, or other illnesses due to the polluted air. This comes alongside other mandates such as work from home orders and school closures. Construction site bans are also being imposed.
Citizens are being urged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, which would worsen conditions due to vehicle pollution. Rickshaws have also been banned to this extent, but media reported on Sunday that such vehicles continue to be found on the road. Additionally, many pedestrians continue to not wear masks depsite the governments advisories.
Air pollution crisis in Lahore worsens as AQI rises