Pakistan's Air Quality Crisis: Experts Demand Immediate Action

Air quality experts in Pakistan have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to tackle hazardous air pollution in Punjab, calling it a public health crisis. They propose measures like shutting down brick kilns, restricting heavy transport, and enforcing environmental compliance in industries to mitigate the smog's impact.

In a dire warning, air quality experts in Pakistan have urged immediate action from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address the hazardous air pollution sweeping across Punjab. The Pakistan Air Quality Experts (PAQx), in a letter to the Prime Minister, highlighted the severe public health risks of the current smog crisis and outlined urgent steps to mitigate its effects, as reported by Dawn.

Officially declared a "calamity" last month, Punjab's air pollution has forced schools to close and restricted public access to recreational areas, affecting children and families. Abdullah Fadil from UNICEF voiced alarm over the impact on more than 11 million young children, who are exposed to harmful pollution in the affected districts.

The PAQx, representing a multidisciplinary group of 27 professionals, emphasized the inadequacy of current environmental measures and advocated for science-based solutions. They called for the shutdown of brick kilns to cut emissions by 15% and proposed a ban on heavy-duty transport during nighttime hours to further reduce urban air pollutants. Industrial compliance with environmental regulations was also stressed as a critical factor in lowering pollution levels.

(With inputs from agencies.)