LAHORE – Pakistan’s Punjab province is bracing for a severe air pollution crisis coinciding with the Diwali festival, prompting the government to activate a large-scale emergency plan to combat the impending smog.
Authorities warn that polluted winds originating from across the border—specifically from the Indian cities of Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Haryana—are expected to engulf major urban centers including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, and Multan. This transboundary pollution will be dangerously compounded by local emissions from Diwali activities, traffic, and waste burning.
The Punjab Smog Monitoring Centre has issued a grim forecast, predicting Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) will hover between a hazardous 210 and 230 today. The situation is exacerbated by extremely low wind speeds (1-8 km/h) and a lack of rain, which will trap toxic pollutants in the atmosphere, leading to severely polluted conditions, especially during morning and night hours.
In response, authorities have deployed anti-smog guns at Thokar Niaz Baig and other hotspots overnight, coupled with widespread water sprinkling operations starting at dawn. Strict directives have been issued to municipal agencies (WASA, LDA) to crack down on all waste and crop residue burning, ensure roads are cleaned, and enforce the covering of construction sites.
A health advisory has been issued urging citizens to wear masks. Children, the elderly, and patients with respiratory illnesses are strongly advised to remain indoors.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb appealed to the public for cooperation, stating, “Every citizen’s role is crucial in preventing and reducing smog.” Meanwhile, neighboring New Delhi is also facing hazardous pollution, with a predicted AQI between 201 and 300.
