NASA Satellite Captures Toxic Smog Blanket Over Lahore as AQI Soars

Lahore: toxic smog which continues to grip Lahore and or parts of Pakistan , has worsened, with city reporting over 15,000 cases of respiratory and viral infections in just 24 hours, Ary News reported.
According to Ary News, Lahore's hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering from dry cough, breathing difficulties, pneumonia, and chest infections.

majority of cases were reported at major government hospitals, including Mayo Hospital (4,000+ patients), Jinnah Hospital (3,500 patients), Gangaram Hospital (3,000 patients), and Children's Hospital (2,000+ patients).

As per Ary News, medical experts in Pakistan have warned that children and patients with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable to smog's effects. "Special children are severely affected," said Ashraf Zia.
smog has led to an increase in various viral diseases, including pneumonia, chest infections, and skin diseases. "Over 10 viral diseases are currently prevalent in Lahore," he said.

Pakistan is pulling all breaks to deal with smog crisis in country.

se include imposition of a 3-month ban on weddings to release of new guidelines by transport department in response to situation of smog in most parts of province. Or measures include Pakistan Punjab government closing schools and colleges in state.

severe smog which now engulfs norrn Pakistan was also reported by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroriometer (MODIS).
"A thick blanket of sky-soiling smog hung over norrn Pakistan in early November 2024, causing air quality to plummet, schools to close, and sending hundreds of people to hospital", NASA MODIS said.
It also me note of plummeting levels of AQI in country. "According to several news reports, Air Quality Index in parts of Punjab region of Pakistan spiked to more than 1,900 on November 10".

It reported Pakistani media sources who announced that Pakistan's Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority h declared smog a "calamity" and instituted emergency measures.

"On November 12, Punjab government website vised that AQI for province over last 24 hours h averaged 604--well into Hazardous range", NASA MODIS said.

Speaking on thick layer of pollution, NASA MODIS reported, " tan haze is so thick that it completely obscures landscape of Pakistan from view. Irregular patches of a lighter color indicate that fog hugs ground underneath haze. city of Lahore, Pakistan--which has ranked as most polluted city in world in recent days--is located near norastern edge of fog".