Punjab residents gasp in stubborn smog, toxic air shrouds KP's Peshawar

After Punjab, a thick layer of smog engulfed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital Peshawar, leaving the residents of affected region gasping for air as the country continues to battle with air pollution. 

Lahore once again ranked first in the most polluted big cities in the world, while Multan had the worst air quality in the country, hovering above the "hazardous" category, posing health risks to the citizens on prolonged exposure.

The smog-laden air that has blanketted the cities in Punjab has now floated towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and engulfed provincial capital Peshawar and surrounding districts as the temperatures drop across the country. 

The air quality index in Lahore was 565 on the Swiss group's real time list of the cities with worst air quality around 8:30am, with PM2.5 pollutants — the fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — 71.6 times higher than the levels deemed healthy by the World Health Organisation.

The national level AQI showed the air quality in Multan "worst" with the figures of 955, while it was 509 in Peshawar by 8:30am — well above the 300 mark, after which everything is considered hazardous for health. 

Traffic disruptions

Besides Lahore and Multan, toxic air shrouded Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and several other cities of Punjab, reducing visibility to zero.

The situation resulted in widespread traffic disruptions, as major motorways and roads were closed at various points to prevent accidents.

Motorway M2 was closed from Lahore to Bhera, while Motorway M3 was blocked from Lahore to Durkhana. Similarly, Motorway M4 was shut down from Multan to Pindi Bhattian, and Motorway M5 was closed from Multan to Sukkur. Additionally, the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway was also blocked, further exacerbating the traffic situation.

Reduced the visibility also led to the closure of Motorway M1 from Peshawar to Rashakai and Motorway M2 from Bhera to Kot Momin.

In the wake of smog situation, the traffic authorities have banned the entry of heavy duty vehicles in Multan. 

Areas of upper Sindh and regions bordering with Punjab have also been hit by polluted air, leading to closure of Motorway M5 from Sukkur to Rahim Yar Khan.

Meanwhile, smog-crisis and consequent low visibility has also caused various road accidents, resulting in multiple casualties.

A man was killed and six others were injured in different mishaps in Rahim Yar Khan.

In the wake of these accidents, traffic police has advised commuters to be extra cautious and only travel during the day hours, while ensuring road safety with the use of fog lights.

Flight and train delays

Due to intense fog across Punjab, flight operations at Faisalabad and Multan airports have been significantly disrupted, with several flights diverted and others cancelled. Three flights bound for these airports were redirected to alternative locations, while two Multan-bound flights were cancelled.

Overall, the aviation sources report delays impacting 36 flights nationwide.

According to aviation authorities, two Jeddah-to-Multan flights, SV 800 and SV 801, operated by a foreign airline, were cancelled. A private airline flight from Dubai to Multan (PA 811) was diverted to Karachi, while PK 330 from Karachi to Multan landed in Lahore.

Additionally, G9 562, a flight from Sharjah to Faisalabad, was redirected to Lahore.

Further delays included a flight from Multan to Dubai (FZ 326), departing nearly three hours behind schedule, while a Faisalabad-to-Sharjah flight (FZ 392) was delayed by three hours.

Karachi-to-Islamabad flight PK 300 also faced over a three-hour delay, and Islamabad-to-Karachi flight PK 301 is set to depart three hours late.

Multiple flights from Karachi to international destinations, including Jeddah, Istanbul, and Colombo, were delayed.

Islamabad-Quetta flights PK 325 and PK 326 are expected to depart four hours late, while flights from Islamabad to Najaf, Jeddah, Bahrain, Sharjah, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai are also experiencing delays.

Meanwhile, dense smog significant delays in train service as well. The Tezgam Express traveling from Karachi to Rawalpindi was delayed by 3 hours.

Similarly, the departure of the Rehman Baba Express from Quetta to Peshawar was delayed by 5 hours, railway authorities said.

The Pak Business train, traveling from Lahore to Karachi, is facing an 8-hour delay, while the Allama Iqbal Express traveling from Karachi to Sialkot has been delayed by 5 hours.

Moreover, the Millat Express, traveling from Lala Musa to Karachi, is running 5 hours behind schedule, and the Bahawalpur Zakarai Express from Karachi to Multan is also facing a 4-hour delay, according to railway officials.

As the country battles air pollution, the most populated province of Punjab has ordered public spaces closed and banned all outdoor activities in smog-hit main cities till November 17.

The drastic deterioration of air quality in the smog-hit regions has caused an increase in health issues like eye, throat infections and respiratory diseases.

Authorities advise citizens to avoid stepping out of their homes unnecessarily and keep their doors and windows closed beside ensuring mask wearing.

South Asia annually faces severe pollution due to trapped dust, emissions and stubble burning — the practice of setting fire to fields after the harvest of grain.

The government in the worst-hit province has attributed this year's particularly high pollution levels to toxic air from neighbouring India, where air quality has also reached hazardous levels.