Lahore continued to make headlines as with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 485, it was ranked as the second-most polluted city in the world on Monday but the citizens were able see the blue sky on Monday morning as there was improvement in pollution level due to change in wind direction and cloud seeding. The air quality Lahore fell below the threshold considered "hazardous" for humans for the first time in two weeks on Sunday and the situation was better and on Monday also as compared to the past several weeks when the AQI index crossed the alarming level of over 1,000. The AQI index reached a daily average of 243 on Sunday, still "very unhealthy" but below the highest level of 300 considered "hazardous". The level of PM2.5 particles was also more than 10 times higher than the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization.

The city of 14 million people close to the border with India peaked at a record AQI of 1,110 on November 14. Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan's 240 million people, closed schools in its major cities on November 6, and on Friday extended the closure to November 24. It has also banned all outdoor sports in schools until January, and cracked down on polluting tuk-tuks, barbecues and construction sites in pollution hot spots across Lahore. Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of the city also contributes to toxic air the WHO says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases. On the other hand, although smog in Islamabad was not as thick as it was in Lahore, still the AQI in the city was not healthy either as it was recorded at 119; 8.6 per cent more than the standard set by the WHO.

Doctors said the weather conditions posed a threat to the health of asthma patients. Smog again led to the closure of different sections of the motorways. M-11, connecting Lahore to Sialkot, M-4, from Kot Abdul Hakim to Multan, and M-5 from Multan to Sukkur, were all closed for traffic.  Meanwhile, the restrictions imposed by the Punjab government in view of smog remain in place as parks and other places of recreation such as museums, zoos, historical sites and last but not least schools will remain closed until November 24.  Similarly, the schedule announced for the opening and closure of commercial markets will be applied until November 24. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan