The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday heard petitions regarding environmental issues, including smog. During the hearing, an official of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) told the court  that increase in the consumption of grilled fish and BBQ in the winter season was one of the factors contributing to pollution and smog.

The official also asked the court to order early closure of these (BBQ) shops. However, the suggestion was not approved by the court.

Lahore recorded the worst air quality in four years on Wednesday (December 15).

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Read more-Lahore’s air quality reaches 981, normal air quality should be below 50

An Air Quality Index (AQI) of 981 was recorded near the Mall Road, Samaa has reported. As per United States Environmental protection agency, the hazardous category indicates an AQI of 301–500. The ‘good’ category is 0–50, which is followed by ‘moderate’ at 51–100 while anything in the 101–301 AQI range is considered unhealthy.

Meanwhile, in November, Provincial Minister of Punjab for Environment Protection Muhammad Rizwan claimed that there has been no smog in Punjab, including Lahore, for the last two years.