The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stopped the caretaker Punjab government from proceeding with new development projects in Lahore till February. LHC judge Justice ShahidKarim issued order on a petition related toanti-smog measures.
During the hearing, the Punjab government’s lawyer was asked about major projects being carried out in Lahore. To this, the lawyer told the court that five projects were currently in progress and the project in Shahdra was expected to be completed soon. Justice Karim asked the Punjab government to stop work on Niazi Interchange II, BabuSabu project. The court also asked the lawyer to submit a report on the effects of the project on air quality.
Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained unhealthy in Lahore as the smog threat continued to loom in the capital of Punjab province.
The AQI is calculated based on five categories of pollution: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The Air quality index (AQI) rate was recorded between 178 to 200 in the early morning. It means, the air in Lahore is very unhealthy.
AQI as high as 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI rating between 201 to 300 is more harmful and AQI over 300 is dubbed extremely hazardous.
