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Pakistan Minister blames cross border field fires for increasing pollution level in Lahore

ANI
Islamabad, PakistanUpdated: Oct 31, 2019, 06:12 PM IST
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File photo of Pakistan Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry. Photograph:(ANI)

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Chaudhary's statement came after the World Air Quality Index (AQI) ranked Lahore second in the world's most polluted city in its latest ranking.

Pakistan Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday blamed the cross border stubble burning and environmental conditions in India for the increasing level of pollution in Lahore.

Taking to Twitter, Chaudhry quoted the country's Minister of Climate Change as informing the Cabinet that pollution in Lahore is caused by "cross border field fires and "abysmal environmental conditions in India."

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Chaudhary's statement came after the World Air Quality Index (AQI) ranked Lahore second in the world's most polluted city in its latest ranking.


The tweet saw a backlash by netizens who asked the minister to have some accountability for the terrible climatic conditions in the city.

The human rights group, Amnesty International, on Wednesday censured Pakistan for its failure to protect people from "exposure to hazardous air" and "risking and violating human rights to life and health".

In a statement, the organisation noted that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore had reached 484 at 10:00 am PST today. "The threshold for 'hazardous' level of air quality is 300 where people are advised to 'avoid all physical activity outdoors'," reported the Express Tribune.