Pakistan limits outdoor activities, market hours to curb air pollution-related illness

Lahore: Pakistan's Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution.

The province has already closed educational institutions and public spaces like parks and zoos until November 17 in places including Lahore, the world's most polluted city in terms of air quality according to Swiss group IQAir's live ratings.

The districts of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala have seen an unprecedented rise in patients with respiratory diseases, eye and throat irritation, and pink eye disease, the Punjab government said in an order issued late on Sunday.

The new restrictions would also remain in force until Nov. 17, it said.

"The spread of conjunctivitis/ pink eye disease due to bacterial or viral infection, smoke, dust or chemical exposure is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health," it said.

While outdoor activities including outdoor sports events, exhibitions and festivals, and outdoor dining at restaurants have been prohibited, "unavoidable religious rites" are exempt from this direction, the order said.

Some outlets like pharmacies, oil depots, dairy shops, and fruit and vegetable shops have similarly been exempted from the directions to close by 8 p.m. local time.

Lahore's air quality remained hazardous on Monday, with an index score of more than 600, according to IQAir, but this was significantly lower than the 1,900 that it touched in some places earlier this month.

A score of 0-50 is considered 'good'.

Several parts of South Asia are engulfed by a toxic haze each winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from farm fires.

Punjab has blamed its particularly toxic air this year on pollution wafting in from India, where northern parts have also been battling hazardous air, and has said it will take the issue up with the neighbouring country through its foreign ministry.

India's Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi government to decide by Nov. 25 on imposing a 'perpetual ban' on firecrackers, legal news portal Bar and Bench reported.

Firecrackers set off by revellers on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that was celebrated on October 31 this year despite a ban, has aggravated the region's pollution problem.