Lahore has topped the global pollution ranking on Friday morning with an air quality index (AQI) of 410, as the city’s air quality reached hazardous levels, according to IQAir’s live tracker.
India’s New Delhi ranked second with an AQI of 203. Lahore was the only Pakistani city among the 20 most polluted cities on the ranking, while Karachi was the only other Pakistani city on the 21-city list, recording an AQI of 110.
IQAir reported that Lahore’s PM2.5 concentration stood at 45.2 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual guideline value. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter.
According to IQAir, PM2.5 pollution poses a major health threat because the particles can penetrate deep into the body. The platform states that the particles can enter the circulatory system and even reach the brain, while long-term exposure can cause serious health complications.
IQAir advised Lahore residents to avoid outdoor exercise, keep windows closed to prevent polluted air from entering their homes, wear masks outdoors and install air purifiers indoors.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government’s air quality monitoring platform recorded an AQI of 339 in Lahore at 11am on Thursday, placing the city’s air in the “very unhealthy” category. The reading was based on data from 10 monitoring stations across the provincial capital.
The difference between the readings on the two platforms may reflect variations in monitoring stations, averaging periods and measurement methods. However, both platforms indicated high levels of air pollution in Lahore.
Human rights activist Sheikh Saqib said that both his children were suffering from throat infections due to smog. He criticised the government over what he described as empty claims about measures to control air pollution.
Saqib stated that school attendance could fall by half as parents stopped sending their children to school amid deteriorating air quality.
He also challenged Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz’s claims that the government had controlled smog over the past three years. Saqib said that he continued to witness crop burning while travelling on motorways towards Islamabad and Karachi.
“Vehicles emitting smoke are still running on Lahore’s roads,” he said, questioning the effectiveness of the government’s measures to tackle air pollution.
Lahore also topped IQAir’s global pollution ranking on October 2, recording an AQI of 167, which fell in the “unhealthy” category. At the time, Maryam said that the government was making efforts to address environmental issues.
Earlier this week, an analysis released by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) ranked Lahore among cities with “extremely poor” ozone levels.
