LAHORE:Cold wave persisted in the provincial capital here on Tuesday while the AQI was recorded 208 as the polluted air is coming from Indian cities due to wind direction.
Data collected from IQAir revealed the AQI was very unhealthy and PM2.5 concentration was 26.4 times the World Health Organisation annual PM2.5 guideline value.The most polluted city localities included Barki (457), Cantonment (435), Civil Secretariat (342), Askari X (280), Liberty (256), Allama Iqbal Town (252), Chuhng (229), Bedian Road (226), B Block, Phase 5, DHA (208) and Model Town (206).
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said steps were being taken to control the situation; however, the air quality was being affected due to polluted air coming from across the border.She said from 12 midnight to 6am, the south-easterly winds keep Indian Punjab upwind, as a result of which pollution from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala is affecting Lahore.
She said that Lahore’s own local pollution was currently under control and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was continuously and closely monitoring all local pollution drivers. Light winds, high clouds and stable air pressure were hindering the spread of pollution.
According to the Environment Department, weak easterly winds from morning to afternoon will continue to carry PM2.5 particles across the border, which may further affect air quality. However, a temporary improvement in the AQI was expected between 2pm and 5pm due to the combined effect of improved wind speed and government measures. The increase in temperature after sunrise was likely to improve air mixing and reduce particulate matter.
On the instructions of the CM, the Smog Action Plan was being strictly implemented, a crackdown on vehicles and industrial units emitting smoke has been intensified, the environmental squad was present in the field, vehicle emissions were being checked at check points, while hundreds of challans and warning notices have been issued.
Brick-kilns, factories and commercial units were being continuously monitored and strict action is being taken against violations of environmental laws; however, due to stable weather and temperature fluctuations, there was also a fear of pollution getting stuck near the ground.
The minister appealed to citizens to use masks, while people with sensitive conditions should take precautionary measures by avoiding unnecessary outings.Meanwhile, Met officials said continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country. They predicted that mainly cold and dry weather was expected over most parts of the country, while very cold in hilly areas.
Moderate to dense fog was likely to persist over Punjab, upper Sindh and plain areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Frost may occur at isolated places in Pothohar region, Upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir during morning hours. Tuesday’s minimum temperature was recorded at Leh where mercury dipped to -12°C while in Lahore it was 6°C.
