SARGODHA: Residents of Shamsher Town have been suffering from the agony of a foul smell of sewage for the past nine months.

Teachers and students of the Government Primary School for Boys in Shamsher Town said they were also facing hardships while passing through the filthy water.

They said they were tired of complaining to the authorities, who claim to be working on cleanliness in villagesbut turn a deafear to the people of the city.

Residents said they also approached the municipal corporation chief officer about the blockage of the main sewerage line, which occurred when the road was under construction.

Despite the lapse of nine months, the contractor has not yet laid the main pipeline. No one is ready to do the work, even though a notice has been issued.

AQI: Air pollution in Sargodha has broken records for the last 20 years as the air quality index has risen from 95 to 250, an all-time high.

The number of asthma, respira-tory, throat and lung patients in hospitalshasincreased.

Dr Sikandar Hayat Warraich, chest and TB specialist at Dr Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital, has warned that air pollution in Sargodha is harmful for both children and adults, and must be controlled immediately. He said smog was taking over and that precautionary measures were urgentlyneeded.

Dr Warraich advised citizens to avoid leaving their homes unnecessarily, to wear clean masks, to use clean or boiled water, and to wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before use.

He said most of the patients coming to the hospital with respiratory, asthma, throat, and chest diseases need to take strict precautions.