As Smog Hangs Over Lahore, Pakistan’s New Pollution Squad Races to Douse Stubble Fires
As smog again settles over large parts of South Asia, Pakistani authorities are widening a crackdown on illegal stubble burning they say is fueling the region's annual pollution crisis. On Thursday, officers of a new quick-response unit swung off their vehicles at a paddy field on the edge of Lahore. Smoke curled low over the stubble, and the crew had the fire under control within minutes, keeping it from adding to the haze over a city that Swiss group IQAir rated “very unhealthy” earlier this week.
