Smog forces closure of markets in 4 districts of Punjab

To mitigate the health risks posed by severe smog, Punjab government imposed closure of markets in four districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan at 8pm daily from today (Monday).

In his regard, a notification has been issued by DG Environmental Protection, Imran Hamid Sheikh. 

According to the notification, this initiative will continue until November 17 and it has been taken to implement a court verdict, related to the increasing number of smog related patients.

Earlier, The motorway authorities banned all types of traffic on all intercity motorways on Monday due to significantly reduced visibility caused by dense smog across Punjab.

Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and other motorway terminals were closed to the traffic. 

According to media reports, Motorway M2 from Lahore to Bhera, motorway M3 from Lahore to Darkhana, and Motorway M4 from Multan to Pindi Bhattia were closed to all types of vehicles.

Similarly, the interchange of motorway M5 from Multan to Sukkur and Lahore Sialkot motorway was closed.

It is pertinent to mention that smog, which is severely affecting daily life in Punjab, has surpassed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar have topped the list of the world's most polluted cities.