The Environment Department has imposed a ban on outdoor barbeques at restaurants that fail to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The regulation, issued by Environment DG Imran Hamid Sheikh, will go into effect on November 20 in response to Lahore’s escalating smog levels.
The SOPs issued require restaurants and street vendors using wood and coal for barbeques to cover the BBQ grill with a hood. The establishments conducting outdoor barbeques must utilise hoods that stop smoke and chemical from emission and ensure frequent water spraying to reduce airborne pollutants.
Lahore is facing a severe air quality crisis, with pollution levels reaching dangerous heights across the city. The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hit an alarming record of 1,165 on Wednesday morning.
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Some areas reported even higher AQI levels, with Defense Phase 8 reaching 1,696, Davies Road at 1,464, and Gulberg at 1,306, according to international air monitors. The concentration of harmful chemicals in Lahore's air is reported to be 131 times higher than World Health Organization guidelines.
The Environment Department has attributed the worsening air quality to polluted winds from Delhi, India, which have been blowing east to west, affecting Lahore and its surrounding areas.
The polluted air forms a triangular impact zone, severely impacting Lahore and extending to the northern districts of Pakistan. Officials noted that a shift in wind direction, expected around noon, might bring some relief as winds begin to move from west to east.
