Pakistan Takes Action Against Severe Air Pollution by Closing Public Parks, Zoos....

Pakistan's Punjab province has imposed a ban on public entry to parks, zoos, and other outdoor spaces starting Friday, as part of efforts to protect people from severe air pollution in the region. The thick, smoky haze that has engulfed the provincial capital, Lahore, has caused alarm, with the city ranking as the world's most polluted according to Swiss air quality monitoring group IQAir. The pollution levels have prompted the government to close schools and introduce work-from-home orders.

The new measure, which will be in place until November 17, prohibits public access to parks, zoos, playgrounds, historical sites, museums, and other recreational areas in areas including Lahore. The decision is in response to dangerously high pollution levels that have impacted the daily lives of residents.

Each winter, South Asia faces severe air pollution, worsened by falling temperatures and the dense fog that traps dust, emissions, and smoke. This is further aggravated by the illegal practice of stubble burning, where farmers burn crop residue to clear fields quickly.

Punjab has also pointed to pollution drifting from neighboring India as a major contributor to the region's air quality crisis. In India, the capital New Delhi has also been suffering from hazardous pollution levels. A significant part of the pollution comes from farm fires in nearby Punjab and Haryana, where stubble burning is a common practice.

To tackle the issue of stubble burning, the Indian government recently increased fines for violators. Farmers with less than two acres of land now face a 5,000-rupee fine ($60), while those with larger plots of land will face even higher penalties.

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