مضمون کا ماخذ : لاٹری جیتنے کی ترکیبیں
Fog paralyzes capital, health risks spike
Dense fog blankets have created challenging commutes for the capital city, like other parts of the country, causing health hazards, especially for allergy patients, in the last few days. The unusually dense foggy conditions prevailing in the capital, attributed by weather experts to lack of rain during this winter season amid climatic changes, have disrupted […]
Dense fog blankets have created challenging commutes for the capital city, like other parts of the country, causing health hazards, especially for allergy patients, in the last few days.
The unusually dense foggy conditions prevailing in the capital, attributed by weather experts to lack of rain during this winter season amid climatic changes, have disrupted road travel and flight operations in the fog-bearing areas of the country.
The persistent fog/smog due to the insignificant rain during this Winter season has caused diseases among the citizens, especially those with allergies, older people, and children. According to health experts, the primary sufferers of seasonal diseases, especially influenza, cough, and fever, are the children and old ones due to their weak immune systems. They have suggested taking those diets that can boost their immunity to fight seasonal diseases, reverting to organic foods, and handling such issues with home remedies.
Naheed Raza, a mother of three children who daily travels from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to attend her office, said, “Dense foggy conditions with reduced visibility is unusual for me while living in the capital for the last many years. Even I could see the visible fog after 11 am”. “My children have suffered from prolonged sickness, including influenza, cough, and high fever three times during the last two months. The doctor believed that the virus has mutated into a dangerous one this Winter due to lack of rain, so there is a need to boost children’s immunity by giving them organic food and using green tea with honey and ginger”, she said.
Considering the health issues, most parents have demanded that the concerned authorities extend Winter vacations, which have ended in some educational institutions or are about to finish by the weekend in others. Showing her concern, a mother of two school-going children, Shagufta Shahid, said, “If the dense foggy situation persists in the coming days, the authorities must consider extension in the vacations to save the children from fog/smog and chilly weather effects.”
She said the chilly weather due to dropping mercury will make it difficult for the kids to attend school in the coming days. The risk of catching the virus from other affected children in school still looms even if they are healthy. Talking to APP, Director Forecasting, PMD Irfan Virk said that dry and cold weather will continue to prevail this week. There are no chances of significant rain in the coming days except light rain in a few parts of Balochistan.
He said that the fog patches ranging from standard to dense will continue in the plain areas of the country till the next rain. He said that dense fog will likely continue over the plain areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Sindh, and Islamabad during this week; therefore, citizens are advised to be cautious. The PMD, in its advisory, has also warned that exposure to the foggy environment can cause health issues among the citizens.
The day temperatures are expected to drop 03-05 degrees Celsius in the coming days due to the foggy conditions. Icy weather conditions are likely to prevail in fog-affected areas. Flights, railways, highways, and motorways operations may be disrupted during foggy conditions. The travelers have been advised to remain cautious during the foggy days due to the reduced visibility level and avoid unnecessary traveling during the morning and night hours.
According to various news reports, several flights were delayed, canceled, or diverted on Wednesday due to the low visibility amid dense fog. The situation also led to disruption of the train service and suspension of road traffic on Motorways in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. About 20 to 25 domestic and international flights were delayed, canceled, and diverted to Lahore from the Islamabad International Airport (IIAP), where visibility dropped at night.
