“Prioritising well being is our collective accountability. Please adhere to the rules for a safer neighborhood,” says Mohsin Naqvi
- Punjab CM urges residents to stick to pointers.
- Residents ordered to put on masks whereas out of doors.
- Punjab plans to hold out synthetic rain in Lahore.
In a bid to counter deteriorating high quality in Punjab, the caretaker authorities on Sunday made it obligatory for all residents to put on a face masks for per week within the smog-hit districts of the province.
“Prioritising well being is our collective accountability. Please adhere to the rules for a safer neighborhood,” stated Punjab’s Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a put up on X, previously Twitter.
The notification shared by Punjab’s healthcare division stated that the excessive stage of the Air High quality Index (AQI) because of SMOG poses a severe and imminent menace to public well being in all age teams.
The federal government urged all residents to take all doable security measures for the prevention and management of airborne ailments within the province of Punjab.
Main & Secondary Healthcare Division’s Secretary Ali Jan Khan stated that, with the approval from the chief minister, all residents are ordered to put on face masks throughout all types of outside actions.
“The above order shall be carried out within the areas of Lahore Division (District Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur) and Gujranwala Division (District Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahuddin), having highest Air High quality Index (AQI), for subsequent one week i.e., November 20, 2023 to November 26, 202,” the notification added.
A day earlier, the federal government stated it was planning to hold out synthetic rain within the provincial capital later this month.
Provincial Surroundings Minister Bilal Afzal stated that a workforce and dealing group needs to be fashioned to supply synthetic rain which can seek the advice of on offering plane to hold out synthetic rain.
Punjab districts together with Lahore Jhang, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Nankana, Bahawalnagar and Sheikhupura are experiencing the worst air air pollution.
In the meantime, the Lahore Excessive Court docket has ordered the authorities to shut all colleges and faculties on Saturdays in smog-hit districts. The courtroom additionally directed the federal government to implement a work-from-home coverage for 2 days per week.
Why is air pollution in South Asia worse than somewhere else?
Nations in South Asia have seen a marked improve in industrialisation, financial growth, and inhabitants development over the previous twenty years, resulting in elevated demand for vitality and fossil fuels.
Whereas sources like industries and automobiles have an effect on most nations, sure main contributors are distinctive to South Asia, together with strong gas combustion for cooking and heating, human cremation, and burning of agricultural waste.
About 38% of the air pollution in New Delhi this yr, for instance, has been brought on by stubble burning — a observe the place stubble left after harvesting rice is burnt to clear fields — within the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
A rise within the variety of automobiles on roads because the area has developed has additionally exacerbated the air pollution drawback. In India and Pakistan, for instance, the variety of automobiles has elevated four-fold because the early 2000s.
New Delhi, ranked the world’s most polluted capital for 4 years in a row by Swiss Group IQAir, has 472 automobiles per thousand inhabitants, in line with authorities information, with nearly eight million automobiles plying on its roads as of 2022.