Islamabad, Dec 17: Smog levels have surged again in several cities across Punjab, with Lahore now ranked as the second most polluted city in the world, and the most polluted in the country, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 523.
New Delhi, the capital of India, remains the world’s most polluted city with an AQI reading of 786.
Sheikhupura has emerged as Pakistan’s most polluted city, with its AQI reaching a hazardous 792. Other cities experiencing high levels of pollution include Rahim Yar Khan with 467 and Faisalabad with 466 AQI readings.
The smog crisis in Lahore and other Punjab cities during November caused serious health problems, including eye irritation, breathing difficulties, and other health issues, disrupting daily life. Visibility was severely restricted in most districts of the province, leading to the closure of several sections of motorways.
Lahore has consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities, prompting calls for urgent action from local authorities. According to Jahangir Anwar, Secretary of the Environment Protection Agency, “Polluted eastern winds, blowing from India, are heading towards Lahore.” He added that these winds have significantly contributed to the city’s smog, driving the AQI to alarming levels.
Earlier, a senior environmental official mentioned that the AQI has never reached a level as high as 1,000. For several days, Lahore was enveloped in smog, a combination of fog and pollutants, which resulted from low-quality diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning, and the cooling winter weather.
Air pollution in Lahore has risen far above the threshold deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO). The concentration of PM2.5 pollutants, tiny particulate matter that poses the greatest health risk, peaked at 1,067 in November.
