Over 1.8 million residents of Punjab province in Pakistan, with a population of 127 million, have visited hospitals and clinics since October due to respiratory issues and eye irritation from air pollution. Consequently, all schools in the province were closed for 5 days, and parks and museums for 10 days.
For the last 30 days, toxic smog has enveloped Lahore, the country’s second-largest city, and 17 other areas of Punjab, leading to previous school closures. Last week, Lahore’s air quality index exceeded 1,000, which is beyond the measurable range, as reported by IQAir, a Swiss technology company monitoring air quality. Additionally, the PM2.5 concentration reached almost 30 times the World Health Organization’s safe air quality guidelines.
Over 7 million people die annually from air pollution, which causes diseases like strokes, heart attacks, and cancers, according to the WHO.
Yesterday, the UN warned that the health of 11 million children in Pakistan’s Punjab province is at risk due to persistent high levels of air pollution, marking the fifth consecutive year of severe pollution.
Authorities have mandated mask-wearing, but compliance is low. The government is also considering methods to induce artificial rain to help reduce pollution.
