Smog rises to dangerous level in Lahore, Pakistan

In Pakistan's Punjab province, smog in the country's second-largest city Lahore has risen to dangerous levels. The Punjab provincial government has ordered that schools, offices, malls and parks in three cities, including Lahore, be closed until Sunday. 

Over the past few days, Lahore's Air Quality Index have hovered around the 400 mark. Medical facilities, grocery stores and gas stations remain open in Punjab. Authorities have advised residents to wear masks if they must go outside. 

Some Lahore residents reported that the noxious atmosphere is a frequent affair



that has severely affected their health and other daily activities.

Some experts believe the burning of crop residue to prepare for the winter planting season is a key cause of the air pollution. Environmentalist Rafi Alam said the government policies aimed at combating smog are made only in haste, which are of no use. 

According to the Air Quality Life Index produced by the University of Chicago, air pollution shortens people's lives by almost seven years in Pakistan's most polluted regions, including Lahore.