Last update:04 November 2024, 10:20 am IST

The Pakistani minister blamed India for air pollution in Lahore, saying the problem cannot be resolved without talks with India.

Air pollution in Lahore (Photo: AP)

Unprecedented levels of air pollution in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, prompted authorities to take emergency measures on Sunday, including imposing work from home and closing primary schools.

The city on Sunday occupied the top spot on the real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities after recording its highest-ever pollution level of 1,900 on Saturday near the Pakistan-India border on the based on data published by the provincial government and the Swiss group IQAir. .

The government takes action

The government has closed primary schools for a week, advising parents to ensure their children wear masks, Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told a news conference, as a thick layer smog enveloped the city.

Citizens were asked to stay at home, keep doors and windows closed and avoid unnecessary travel, she said, adding that hospitals had been provided with smog meters.

To reduce vehicular pollution, 50% of office workers would work from home, Aurangzeb said.

The government also banned three-wheeled vehicles called rickshaws and halted construction work in some areas to reduce pollution levels. Factories and construction sites that fail to comply with these regulations could be closed, she said.

Pakistani minister accuses India

Aurangzeb called the situation “unexpected” and attributed the deteriorating air quality to winds carrying pollution from neighboring India.

“This cannot be resolved without negotiations with India,” she said, adding that the provincial government would begin negotiations with its larger neighbor through Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

The smog crisis in Lahore, similar to the situation in the Indian capital Delhi, tends to worsen during colder months due to the temperature inversion that traps pollution closer to the ground.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)

Location :

Lahore, Pakistan