Panic over smog in Ludhiana
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 15 — There was panic among residents as a thick cloud of smog enveloped Ludhiana city and its surrounding areas today.

The smog reduced visibility to a few metres, besides causing irritation in the eye and throat. Many residents had difficulty in breathing. Local doctors reported a large number of patients rushing to them for help.

The office of The Tribune was flooded with calls from anxious residents trying to check the source of the pollution.

According to Dr S.S. Hundal, Head, Department of Agro-Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University, here while there is no cause for panic, the phenomenon speaks volumes about the steady environmental degradation in the state. He said the smog had been caused by large-scale burning of the paddy straw by farmers in their fields.

Although the burning of the straw had been banned by the government, it was seldom enforced. A low cloud cover over the state since morning had prevented the smoke from escaping into the sky.

The problem in the city had been accentuated by industrial and vehicular pollution. This had led to irritation in the eyes and throat of the residents.

Dr Hundal said the smog would clear up as soon as the cloud cover lifted. But according to the weather forecast, the sky will remain overcast for the next two days.

Meanwhile, the district administration has appealed to the residents not to panic.

The Deputy Commissioner has appealed to the farmers in areas around Ludhiana to stop the burning of paddy straw. He has also urged the city residents to avoid exploding fire crackers till the weather clears.

Services of local TV channels are being utilised by the administration in making the appeals.

Reports received here said the entire region from Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Samrala, Sahnewal, Doraha, Mullanpur, Moga and the surrounding areas has been enveloped by the smog and traffic in the region affected.

Meanwhile, Dr S.B. Khurana, Head, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said today that more than 70 cases of suspected cholera had been reported from different parts of the city during the past few days. All had tested positive.

The DC today convened a short-notice meeting of the officials concerned to draw up a plan to check the spread of the disease. Officials of the municipal corporation also visited DMC Hospital to note down the addresses of patients.