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The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Pakistan's Punjab has notified the imposition of smart lockdown in ten districts in view of the recent smog situation, ARY News reported.
ARY News is a Pakistani news channel. The province has been consistently retaining its top spot on the list of the most polluted cities in the world. As per details, the smart lockdown will remain enforced in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, and Sargodha divisions. The educational institutions are also closed in the aforesaid districts. Meanwhile, markets, shops, cinemas, and restaurants will remain closed till 3 pm, according to the notification, ARY News reported. The citizens have been warned by the environmental department about the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city which has been recorded at 379, after which Lahore became the most polluted city in the world. The experts advised the citizens to wear face masks and take necessary precautionary measures in order to combat smog. The Punjab government officials asked citizens and industrialists to cooperate with the authorities to combat this calamity, as per ARY News. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Lahore on Thursday topped the global pollution ranking with an unhealthy air quality level during the whole day, Dawn reported. The second-largest city in Pakistan continues to suffer from a smog crisis that has affected the health and livelihood of millions of people. According to Swiss air quality technology company, IQAir, Lahore's air quality was the worst in the world, with the air quality index (AQI) at a "hazardous" 470, followed by Delhi at 302 and Karachi at 204. The smog, which is caused by a combination of vehicle emissions, industrial pollution and crop burning, has reached dangerous levels, with the concentration of PM2.5, the most harmful particulate matter, exceeding 15 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value, as per Dawn. (ANI)
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