Many Punjab cities including Lahore witnessed the worst smog along with foggy conditions on Saturday as the tiny toxic particles in the air reduced visibility.
The visibility around the Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIP) reached only 800 metres. AAIP Air Traffic Control (ATC) has informed the airlines about the latest smog situation as pilots face difficulties while taking off and landing at the Lahore Airport, the TV channel reported, quoting sources.
All airlines are advised to strictly comply with precautionary and safety measures before landing and take-off.
The ILS-CAT3 system has remained non-operational due to repairing work at the main runway of Lahore Airport, the sources said.
On the other hand, there is no modern system installed for landing amid smog at the secondary runway of Allama Iqbal International Airport, the TV channel reported.
The air quality index in the city rose to 267 on Saturday, clearly indicating that the annual smog has once again arrived to debilitate and disrupt daily routine life.
In Multan, the visibility reached at 1 KM and the AQI (Air Quality Index) reached at 299 due the presence of tiny pollutants. It has been reported that Multan stood at fourth number in terms of air pollution.
Several diseases related to breathing problems may also go on the rise due to the smog.
Similar low visibility was also observed in Kot Addu while over 200 children are being treated for fever, coughing and phenomena at Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital.
The TV channel also reported that Punjab Disaster Management Services (PDMA), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Bank of Punjab (BoP) jointly launched a mechanism to provide zig-zag technology to brick kilns that will reduce the smoke emission in a bid to clean the already polluted environment causing smog and other factors. The TV channel reported brick kilns can get zig zag technology in 1.5 million to two million rupees.
The Punjab government has also been mulling to provide Ash Recovery Units (ARU) to farmers so that they could not simply burn paddy stubble that has become one of the prime factors in smog creation.
