A province in Pakistan declared a health emergency due to the increasing situation and imposed a shutdown in two major cities. For several weeks, smog caused by air pollution has engulfed Punjab, causing various respiratory illnesses to nearly 2 million people and leaving a large part of the province shrouded in toxic smog.

According to government officials, the health emergency was declared to deal with the growing crisis. Maryam Aurangzeb, a senior provincial minister, declared the emergency at a press conference on Friday evening.

According to Aurangzeb, all leaves of medical staff in government hospitals have been cancelled, all educational institutions – schools and colleges are closed till further notice, and restaurants will be closed at 4 pm, while takeaway will be available till 8 pm, officials. Has imposed a ban. The cities of Multan and Lahore have been put under lockdown and all construction work at both those places has been ordered to be stopped with immediate effect. Aurangzeb said, “At present smog is a national disaster. All this will not end in a month or a year. We will evaluate the situation after three days and then announce further strategy.”

AQI crosses 600 in Lahore

Average air quality index readings in parts of Lahore, a city of 11 million, crossed 600 on Friday. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health.

According to experts, smog is a dangerous byproduct of large numbers of vehicles, construction and industrial operations, as well as the burning of crops at the beginning of the winter wheat-planting season. It irritates the eyes, nose and throat and causes coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. It also aggravates existing lung conditions like asthma and triggers asthma attacks.

Doctors say that while smog increases the risk of heart diseases like heart attack and stroke, it also causes cancer in the long run.

The weather is expected to improve in a few days due to rain and wind.

Pakistan’s National Meteorological Center said rain and wind are forecast in the coming days, which will help reduce haze conditions and improve air quality in parts of Punjab. Dr Muhammad Ashraf, professor at Jinnah Hospital Lahore and Allama Iqbal Medical College, said the government should take preventive measures before the smog spreads.

“This is an even greater emergency than COVID-19 because every patient is suffering from respiratory tract infections and the disease is widespread,” he told The Associated Press.

Apart from asthma, exposure to air pollutants causes respiratory diseases like asthma, COPD and lung cancer, which occur mainly in children and the elderly.

According to the World Health Organization, acute respiratory infections are among the top five causes of all global mortality, with 17 percent of deaths from acute lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia being caused by ambient air pollution.

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