Smog which enveloped an area of the city reduces visibility, in Lahore, Pakistan.
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan’s Punjab banned entry to many public spaces from Friday (November 8, 2024), including parks and zoos, as it sought to protect people from severe air pollution in parts of the eastern province.

Also Read: Pakistan blames India for worsening smog in Lahore as air quality index hits record high

The provincial capital Lahore has been engulfed in a thick, smoky haze this week and was consistently rated the world’s most polluted city by Swiss group IQAir in its live rankings, prompting the closure of schools and work-from-home mandates.

The Punjab government’s Friday (November 8) order placed a “complete ban on public entry in all parks … zoos, playgrounds, historical places, monuments, museums and joy/playlands” until November 17 in areas including Lahore.

Many parts of South Asia suffer severe pollution as temperatures drop each winter and cold, heavy air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from stubble burning – the illegal practice of burning crop waste to quickly clear fields.

Punjab last week blamed toxic air wafting in from neighbouring India – where air quality has also reached hazardous levels – for the particularly high pollution this year.

IQAir rated New Delhi the world’s second most polluted city on Friday, with government data indicating that farm fires in the neighbouring farming states of Punjab and Haryana were among the major contributors.

To discourage the practice which has been lower this year, India doubled fines imposed on violators on Wednesday.