Pakistan bans entry to parks, zoos as air pollution worsens

ARIF ALI/AFP

Pakistan's Punjab banned entry to many public spaces from Friday, including parks and zoos, as it sought to protect people from severe air pollution in parts of the eastern province.

The provincial capital Lahore has been engulfed in a thick, smoky haze this week and was consistently rated the world's most polluted city by Swiss group IQAir in its live rankings, prompting the closure of schools and work-from-home mandates.

The Punjab government's Friday order placed a "complete ban on public entry in all parks ... zoos, play grounds, historical places, monuments, museums and joy/play lands" until November 17 in areas including Lahore.

Many parts of South Asia suffer severe pollution as temperatures drop each winter and cold, heavy air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from stubble burning - the illegal practice of burning crop waste to quickly clear fields.

Punjab last week blamed toxic air wafting in from neighbouring India - where air quality has also reached hazardous levels - for the particularly high pollution this year.

IQAir rated the Indian capital New Delhi the world's second most polluted city on Friday, with government data indicating that farm fires in the neighbouring farming states of Punjab and Haryana were among the major contributors.

To discourage the practice which has been lower this year, India's federal government doubled fines imposed on violators on Wednesday.

Farmers with less than two acres of land will now have to pay 5,000 rupees ($60) for violations. Those who own between two and five acres will pay 10,000 rupees ($118) and farmers with more than five acres will pay 30,000 rupees ($355), the environment ministry said.

More from International

  • UN: 70% of Gaza fatalities women and children

    The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday nearly 70 per cent of the fatalities it has verified in the Gaza war were women and children, and condemned what it called a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.

  • Indonesian volcano spews ash 10 km high

    Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted several times on Friday, belching volcanic ash that rose up to 10 km (32,800 ft) into the sky, officials said, following a big eruption on Sunday night that killed nine people.

  • Israeli PM directs two rescue planes to Amsterdam

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed two rescue planes to Amsterdam after being informed of "a very violent incident" targeting Israeli citizens, his office said on Friday.

  • Israel passes law to deport relatives of Palestinian attackers

    The Israeli Knesset passed a new law on Thursday that would allow the deportation of family members of people convicted of terrorist offenses, including Israeli citizens, while experts said it was aimed at Palestinians.

  • Trump appoints White House chief of staff

    President-elect Donald Trump announced that c, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff, entrusting a top position to a political operative who helped the Republican win election.