LAHORE, NOV 6 – Record-high air pollution in Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore, has led to more people seeking treatment at private hospitals and clinics, doctors said today.
Authorities have warned that a full curfew may be imposed if residents fail to wear face masks and follow other haze-related guidelines.
The warning was issued after many people on the streets of Lahore, which has a population of 14 million, were found not wearing face masks. Doctors say most people complain of either a cough or a burning sensation in their eyes.
“Tens of thousands of patients with respiratory diseases were treated in hospitals and clinics in a week,” said Salman Kazmi, vice president of the Pakistan Medical Association.
You can see people coughing everywhere you go, yet they still rarely wear face masks, he said.
Lahore remained the most polluted city in the world this morning, with the air quality index reaching an all-time high of over 1,100. Any reading above 300 is considered dangerous to health.
A toxic haze has enveloped the city since last month.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in Punjab province, asked people to wear face masks to avoid a full curfew in the city. Lahore is the capital of the province.
City authorities have banned the preparation of unfiltered grilled food, as well as the use of motorized rickshaws, while wedding halls must close at 10 p.m.
The government is also researching methods to produce artificial rain to overcome the pollution. – AP
