Motorcycles and vehicles are driven on a road in Peshawar,
Pakistan, Nov. 5, 2017. Smog has enveloped much of Pakistan and
neighboring India, causing highway accidents and respiratory problems,
and forcing many residents to stay home, officials said.
ISLAMABAD —
Smog has enveloped much of Pakistan and neighboring India,
causing highway accidents and respiratory problems, and forcing many residents
to stay home, officials said Saturday.
Pakistani meteorologist Mohammad Hanif said the pollution, caused by dust,
the burning of crops, and emissions from factories and brick kilns in Pakistan
and neighboring India, was expected to linger until the middle of the month.
He advised people to wear facemasks to protect themselves from respiratory ailments.
Mohammad Arshad, a highway police official, said at least 10 people were
killed and 25 injured in road accidents linked to poor visibility in various
parts of the Punjab province since Monday. Authorities have
advised people to limit road travel.
Average air pollution in Pakistan’s major cities is about
four times higher than the World Health Organization limits.
Similar problems have been reported in the Indian capital,
New Delhi, where air quality was rated "very poor"
Saturday. Some private schools in New Delhi have
suspended sports and outdoor activities.
India’s Supreme Court banned the sale of firecrackers in
New Delhi ahead of last month’s Hindu Diwali festival to try to
curb air pollution in the notoriously smoggy city. Though reports said
air quality was better than last year, pollution levels in the capital
hit 18 times the healthy limit the night after the festival, as many dodged the ban.