Islamabad [Pakistan]: Senior Minister in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Maryam Aurangzeb urged people to take action against smog in Lahore, amid deteriorating air quality, The Express Tribune reported.
Maryam emphasised that despite significant measures, it would take eight to ten years to eliminate smog from the city.
In a press conference regarding the Anti-Smog Action Plan, Aurangzeb said that certain hotspots in Lahore are plagued by methane clouds and heat islands.
She further said that out of 45,000 motorcycles in the city, 1,800 are emitting smoke, along with 1,00,000 vehicles, 1,200 kilns, and 60,800 industrial units all while the city supports a population of 15 million, as per The Express Tribune.
Aurangzeb pointed out that Lahore has 275 days of unhealthy Air Quality Index (AQI) levels throughout the year, with temperatures rising by 3.2 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, a study by a senior expert raised serious concerns over the rise in the level of air pollution affecting the respiratory health of the people in the Karachi district of Pakistan, Dawn reported.
The expert, during a press conference, shared findings of the study titled ‘Impact of fine particulate pollution exposures on respiratory health in a mega city of Pakistan’. The study shows evidence of particulate matter (PM2.5) causing respiratory issues in the Karachi district of Pakistan.
According to the study, high levels of black carbon, sulphate, ammonium and nitrate have contributed to poor air quality, affecting the health of the masses.
Prof Zafar Fatimi, Section Head, Environmental, Occupational Health and Climate Change, Community Health Sciences at AKU said, “We have seen a 25 to 30 per cent increase in hospital admissions and ER visits on a daily basis and found children under one year, adults above 65 years and people with compromised immunity levels very vulnerable.”