Pakistan Bans Entry to Parks, Zoos as Air Pollution Worsens

A vendor carries a bucket of radish across a railway track engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 8, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A vendor carries a bucket of radish across a railway track engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 8, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
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Pakistan Bans Entry to Parks, Zoos as Air Pollution Worsens

A vendor carries a bucket of radish across a railway track engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 8, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
A vendor carries a bucket of radish across a railway track engulfed in smog in Lahore on November 8, 2024. (Photo by 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, Reuters reported.

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 Nov. 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 neighboring 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 neighboring 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 owning between two and five acres will pay 10,000 rupees and farmers with more than five acres will pay 30,000 rupees, the environment ministry said.



Saudi Arabia’s AROYA Cruises Announces First Voyage in December

The three-night voyage will depart from Jeddah Port to a Red Sea island exclusively for cruise passengers
The three-night voyage will depart from Jeddah Port to a Red Sea island exclusively for cruise passengers
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Saudi Arabia’s AROYA Cruises Announces First Voyage in December

The three-night voyage will depart from Jeddah Port to a Red Sea island exclusively for cruise passengers
The three-night voyage will depart from Jeddah Port to a Red Sea island exclusively for cruise passengers

AROYA Cruises, a subsidiary of Cruise Saudi and wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced that its inaugural cruise would be on December 16.

The three-night voyage will depart from Jeddah Port to a Red Sea island exclusively for cruise passengers.

AROYA Cruises aims to provide authentic Arabian experiences inspired by Saudi heritage. As the first Arab cruise line, it seeks to offer a new model for holidays with a distinctive Arabian feel, catering specifically to Arab preferences and tastes.