Pollution-fuelled smog has shrouded major cities across South Asia this week, with businesses and schools forced to close in some areas.
As of midday on Friday, four of the top five cities with the worst air quality in the world were in South Asia, with the only outlier in nearby Indonesia.
Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh have all been blighted by toxic air, which appears to be mostly caused by a combination of pollution and relatively cooler temperatures.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) – a measure developed by government agencies – puts Kolkata in India as the most polluted city in the world, followed by the country’s capital, New Delhi, in second.
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, and Nepalese capital Kathmandu made up the top five.
The smog has been keenly felt in recent days in Lahore, Pakistan, which had an AQI of 432 on Wednesday, before dropping to 103 on Friday.
A cyclist wearing a mask in Lahore. Pic: AP
Anything over 301 is considered hazardous – the most serious ranking – while a score above 101 is a warning for sensitive groups, such as children, the elderly, those with respiratory conditions and pregnant women.
As a result, schools and markets have been closed in the city of more than 11 million people and the wider Punjab region – home to 110 million in total – from Thursday to Sunday.
Offices, restaurants and businesses, aside from priority services like hospitals and courts, have all shut in a bid to limit movement outside, as ordered in a directive from the provincial government.
But it hasn’t stopped tens of thousands from falling sick, according to officials, as doctors advise the population to wear face masks and stay at home.
Many have reported coughing and breathing problems in Lahore, which was once known as the city of gardens in the 19th century.
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