According to IQAir data released on Tuesday, the Punjab capital of Lahore is now the most polluted city in the world. As a result of the high levels of toxins in the air, the city’s air quality dropped to a “hazardous” level.
While provincial authorities rush to address the worsening smog crisis, citizens are urged to exercise caution to protect themselves from the harmful effects of pollution.
The most recent data indicated that Lahore’s air quality has reached the worst-case AQI of 400 in the United States.
Yasir Husain, an environmentalist, stated to Geo.tv that the US AQI, which measures PM2.5 particles, should be below 50 for healthy air. He also said that this means that the air in Lahore is 80 times more polluted than a healthy level.
“With the season bearing of wind currents have changed. In winter, wind streams from Pakistan to India. Farming waste consuming, vehicle exhaust and power creation cause the most air contamination.
The polluted air stays in the city because the wind blows at a slower speed in the winter, resulting in deadly smog that combines fog with pollutants from burning.
IQAir’s classification of air quality is as follows:
An AQI of 0 to 5 is considered “good,” an AQI of 51 to 100 is considered “moderate,” an AQI of 101 to 150 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” an AQI of 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy,” and an AQI of more than 301 degrees is considered “hazardous.”
New Delhi, India’s capital, ranks second on IQAir’s list of the most polluted cities, with an extremely unhealthy AQI level of 285.
The United Arab Emirates’ Dubai follows Delhi, where the AQI level is 166.
In the mean time, Karachi positions thirteenth in the rundown of most dirtied urban areas. Because the AQI in the metropolis is 107, people who are allergic or sensitive to dust are at risk here.
According to Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer and activist, people are unaware of the severity of the air pollution. The insight, he said, is that low quality is an occasional Lahore issue — it isn’t.
Air pollution poses a threat to public health throughout the year and in the region.
The lawyer stated that although the Punjab government implemented smog policies in 2017, 2023, and 2024, it is unknown whether these policies will be implemented seriously.
He continued, “So far cosmetic initiatives (such as smog squads or brick kiln conversion) have busied bureaucrats.”
It is suggested to the people not to exercise outside, to keep their doors and windows closed to keep the air clean, to wear masks outside, and to run air purifiers around them.
Lahore has topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities twice in a week, despite the provincial government’s efforts to combat smog.
On Sunday, senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb stated that all measures to combat smog had been taken.
She stated that artificial rain would be used in the province in the event of an increase in smog levels, at a cost of between Rs5 million and Rs7 million.
In addition, the crackdown against manufacturing plants and vehicles delivering harmful smoke will proceed.
Aurangzeb stated, “Artificial rain will not be needed if we improve the environment through measures against smoke,” urging the populace to call the government’s helpline 1373 to report instances of stubble burning, factories, or vehicles.
At the point when cooler temperatures grab hold, contamination twistings, with Lahore and Delhi among the most dirtied urban areas.
The AQI in Lahore crosses 1000 in December consistently.
