New pollution levels were set in Pakistan as AQI crossed 2,100 in Multan, forcing its government to shut down schools and parks.
Pakistan continued to record new air pollution levels with seven of its cities topping the list of the world’s most polluted cities, ARY News reported on Friday.
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Multan’s air quality was alarmingly high with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 2,135, followed by Lahore (676).
Not too long ago, Pakistan had blamed India last week when Lahore held the top spot on a real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities on Sunday as the city recorded its highest-ever pollution levels of 1,900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday.
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Pollution forces Pakistan government to act
The Punjab province government in Pakistan swung into action only after air pollution rose to alarming levels, forcing them to shut down amusement parks, museums and schools for 10 days, starting November 8 to 17, according to ARY News.
The districts that were affected due to the ban include Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujarat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Chiniot, Jhang, and Toba Tek Singh, as per the news report.
The pollution situation is expected to further worsen next week due to predictions of deteriorating smog conditions necessitated because of low wind speeds near Lahore and Multan.
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Pakistan cities with hazardous air quality
Some of the cities that have hazardous air quality include Multan, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Haripur, Rawalpindi and Karachi.
