Tag: smog

  • School children file petition in Lahore High Court against toxic smog

    School children file petition in Lahore High Court against toxic smog

    School children from Lahore have lodged an appeal in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the hazardous level of smog and air pollution in the Punjab province.

    Leila Alam and her class fellows through their appeal aim to draw the acting Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh’s attention towards the worsening air quality in Lahore and its surrounding areas.

    The children’s lawyer, Rafay Alam, told the court that the Environment Protection Department, Punjab, measured the air quality index (AQI) of 182 as safe to breathe when by international standards the index should not cross 50.

    Last week, the city’s air quality index crossed safe limits and was recorded at well over 400. The city also has continued to be engulfed by a toxic blanket of smog since October.

    Health
    experts say that children and the elderly are most vulnerable to toxic air. The
    LHC has directed the Punjab government to submit its reply in the next hearing.

  • Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    New Delhi and the areas surrounding the city have been engulfed by a cloud of smog which is choking the city and its residents. The air quality index has reached hazardous levels as the Indian capital has been hit by the worst pollution in three years. A public health emergency has been declared and people have been advised to stay indoors.

    According to a report in Khaleej Times, as smog levels exceeded, authorities parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal – the iconic 17th-century marble mausoleum 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Delhi – in a bid to clean the air in its surrounds.

    The air purifier van deployed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has the capacity to purify 15 lakh cubic metre air in eight hours within a 300-metre radius.

    Regional Officer of UPPCB Bhuvan Yadav shared that a mobile air purifier van has been deployed at the west gate of the Taj Mahal keeping in mind the developing situation and consistent deterioration in air quality.

    Pollution around the white marble mausoleum has been a cause of concern for a long time as it has been damaging the monument, one of the seven wonders of the world. Pollution causes the white marble of the monument to turn yellow.

    Read more: Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Meanwhile, the Delhi government has declared a public health emergency in the city following the deterioration in air quality. The local government also directed the closure of all schools till November 5 in the interest of the health and safety of children. Free pollution masks were also handed to the children to limit their exposure.

    Construction work in the city has been put on hold and private cars have been banned on the roads to limit pollution.

    According to a recent study, almost one million Indians died prematurely every year as a result of inhaling this pollution-ridden smog. Experts have warned that both state and national governments needed to go beyond short-term remedies and find a solution to combat this problem which hits every year.

    Read more: Tips to beat the toxic smog this winter

    Across the border, Lahore is also suffering from the effects of smog. The air quality index in the city has also reached hazardous levels making breathing tiresome for the residents.

  • Health emergency declared in Delhi following toxic smog

    Health emergency declared in Delhi following toxic smog

    The Delhi government on Friday announced a public health emergency in the city following the deterioration in air quality in the city. The local government also directed the closure of all schools till November 5 in the interest of the health and safety of children.

    According to a report in the Hindustan Times, air quality in the capital has deteriorated breaching ‘severe plus’ level and the city remained shrouded in a thick, toxic layer of smoke and haze. Many environmentalists began to refer to Delhi as an open gas chamber.

    Read more: Tips to beat the toxic smog this winter

    The Air Quality Index (AQI) value in Delhi was at approximately 459 at 8 am Friday morning and this is the first time that the air quality has dipped to emergency levels in the national capital this season. Such a situation was last seen in January 2019. Meanwhile, Lahore’s AQI stands at 343 according to Air Visual.

    This prompted the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPA), a Supreme Court-mandated body, to declare a public health emergency. It stated that the air quality in Delhi NCR has become “hazardous” and will have adverse health impacts on all particularly the children.

    Effects of smog on children

    The EPA also suspended all construction activity in Delhi-NCR till November 5.

    Delhi witnessed a spike in pollution after Diwali and the air quality quickly dipped in the following week with the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution rising to 35 percent.

    Chief Minister Kejriwal described the city as a “gas chamber” while distributing masks to schoolchildren. He also blamed the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, where thousands of farmers at this time of year burn crop stubble, sending vast clouds of smoke drifting across northern India and Pakistan.

    Read more: Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Experts have previously predicted that more crop residues are burnt around the time of Diwali since farmers can show them as incidental fires. They use the method to quickly and cheaply ready their fields for the next round of sowing.

  • ‘With more vehicles, comes more pollution,’ Zartaj Gul blames Azadi March for smog

    Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul has said that the pollution in Lahore is increasing due to the extra number of vehicles entering Lahore for Azadi March.

    In a video posted on Twitter from Gul’s official account, the minister has termed all reports fake which are claiming that Lahore has entered into the list of most polluted cities of the world.

    She said that the company which has released this data wants the government to install their equipment for monitoring air pollution and is spreading misleading reports for the past two years.

    “They take their equipment out for recording data when the traffic is dense and use these reports to spread panic”, the minister added.

     

    Yesterday, the air quality monitoring station installed in US Consulate Lahore indicated that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city is near 469, while the threshold for hazardous levels of air quality is 300.

    Moreover, the London-based non-governmental organisation, Amnesty International in a statement released to the media on Wednesday stated that the levels of air quality in the province has been rated “near unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” for most of the year.

    The report also said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore has reached 484 in the early morning. Meanwhile, EPA is still unable to show the actual picture of the scenario and is showing the unrealistic data in this regard.

    The South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International, Rimmel Mohydin has also urged the government to do more to adequately address such a severe public health crisis — one that endangers people’s health and even their lives”.

  • Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Air purifiers that are effective and available

    As smog levels rise across Pakistan and Lahore reaches hazardous levels, air purifiers are selling out across the country. The biggest debate: do they actually work?

    According to research, air purifiers do work and have benefits. The demand for air purifiers is increasing worldwide and in 2022, there will be a 10.2 billion dollar global market for air purifiers.

    Air purifiers filter out harmful particles, kill germs and removes volatile organic compounds that can harm the lungs, liver or kidneys.

    In Pakistan, most air purifiers are now out of stock as Karachi and Lahore are facing the brunt of the air pollution. The Current brings you a daily smog level check at 7AM on Instagram and Facebook for your city and what’s really worrying is that Lahore has hit hazardous levels and Karachi is at very unhealthy – and about to get worse.

    Wearing smog masks can help protect you against air pollution and air purifiers are also a great investment. They aren’t cheap but worth it in the long run.

    Here are three air purifiers that are currently in stock on Pakistani websites and have been tried and tested by customers

    1. Smart Air Cannon Air Purifier

    Available here this small but powerful air purifier is effective for a room sized 323 square feet. It was effective in removing pollution particles and comes with a one year warranty. It is cheapest air purifier that is currently available, at 18,000 rupees.

    2. Beurer LR 200 Air Purifier

    Available here Beurer is a tried and tested company, with a popular humidifier range. The air purifier is sleek but according to reviews, it’s difficult to clean the filter. It is for 27,500 rupees and also has a one year warranty.

    3. Hextio Air Purifier

    At 60,000 Rupees the Hextio is available here. It has automatic settings where it detects air pollution and increases the level of the fan. It also has a two year warranty.