Pakistani officials have scrambled to respond to the crisis - its scale unprecedented even in a city which deals with smog at this time each year.

Schools are closed, workers have been told to stay home and people urged to stay indoors - part of a so-called “green lockdown”, which has also seen motorbike rickshaws, heavy vehicles and motorbike parking banned from hot spot areas.

By the end of the week, Lahore High Court had ordered all the markets in the Punjab province to close by 20:00 each night, with complete closures on Sundays. Parks and zoos have also been shut until 17 November.

The problem, according to Nasa scientist Pawan Gupta, is that pollution levels in the city “typically peak in late November and December”.

“So this is just beginning. The worst pollution days are probably still ahead of us,” he warned.

The smoke that has enveloped Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, can be seen from space - as can part of the cause.

Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa shows both the thick layer of smog and the multiple concentrations of fire in the region between the Indian capital, Delhi, and Pakistan’s Lahore.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5631571&forum_id=2...id#48319739)

Perhaps Tommy or another board Desi will enlighten us.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5631571&forum_id=2...id#48319941)