Pakistan air pollution: Multan's AQI crosses 2,000-mark; Punjab closes parks, schools
Pakistan experienced a surge in air pollution, with seven cities ranking among the world’s most polluted.
The Punjab government in Pakistan has ordered the closure of amusement parks, museums and schools across several districts for 10 days, from November 8 to 17, amid hazardous smog levels, ARY News reported.
The ban, issued on Friday, impacts districts such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujarat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Chiniot, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh, as well as Lodhran, Vehari, and Khanewal, which are also under smog-related restrictions.
Multan, the largest city in south Punjab, recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 2,135 between 8am and 9am on Friday, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitor.
The concentration of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — was 947 micrograms per cubic metre, which is 189.4 times above the WHO guideline, according to IQAir.
The AQI in Multan reached 980 by 10pm, at least three times over the 300 mark considered “hazardous”, Dawn reported
Three air quality monitors in Multan at the WWF-Pakistan Office, Shamsabad Colony and Multan Cantonment showed AQI readings of 2,316, 1,635 and 1,527, respectively, at 10pm.
The Punjab education department has mandated the closure of tuition centres and academies. According to Geo News, private and public schools up to the higher secondary level across affected districts will remain closed until November 17, a government notification stated.
