UPDATE: Lahore was the world’s most polluted major city early on Tuesday as pre-winter smog settled over northern Pakistan and adjoining India, with the city’s air quality index standing at 447 on IQAir’s measure. The city’s PM2.5 concentration was 60 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual guideline, a level that carries serious risks for lungs and heart health.
Local readings reported during the day were far worse in places, with Iqbal Town recording 902, Paragon City 698, Chaman Park 619 and Barki Road 569, while the city’s overall reading was reported at 530. Delhi’s air quality was lower by comparison at 215, though authorities there also imposed curbs to fight the haze.
The new angle in this update is the global ranking and the PM2.5 multiple, which put Lahore’s smog in an international context rather than only a Punjab one. Cold, dense air is trapping vehicle, construction and crop-burning emissions, and with dry weather and light winds forecast, quick relief from rain or wind looks unlikely.
Sources: Reuters, The Nation. Written in our own words for information only.