Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Pictures from space show mighty smog choking Lahore
With a population of 13 million, Lahore in Punjab province is the second largest city in Pakistan. It has been the historic capital and cultural center in the region and is now a major industrial, educational, and economic hub. But sadly, Lahore is known as the world’s most air-polluted city, especially in November and December. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), a value above 300 signals hazardous air quality. Starting from earlier this month, the index of some locations in Lahore exceeded 1,000 repeatedly. The thick layer of smog and fires in Pakistan’s Punjab province and nearby India’s Dehli are seen in satellite images. One of the fundamental factors is industrial emissions from factories, power plants, and vehicles, especially outdated ones. Also this time of year, farmers in the region and in northern India burn crop residue after harvesting, which releases large amounts of pollutants into the air. Geographically, Lahore's location in a relatively enclosed geographic area can hinder the dispersal of pollutants. Along with the cold air flowing down from Tibet that traps pollutants near the ground, Lahore’s air quality has become so bad that offices and schools have been forced to close and hospitals have been crowded with people with breathing difficulties. This is not new to this year but the situation has become just worse in not only the Punjab region but also northern India, particularly in Delhi. Indeed, environmental problems must be tackled beyond national borders, religions, races, and politics because we all breathe the same air.
Read the article and learn about Lahore’s air pollution.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm20k76d5xno
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