Smog warning issued after air quality deteriorates in Lahore

The Punjab Environment Protection Department on Sunday issued a smog warning as the province deals with rising pollution levels, with Lahore once again topping the list of the world’s most polluted cities as colder temperatures continue.

The provincial capital’s average air quality index (AQI) fell abnormally in 24 hours and was recorded at 700 this morning (Sunday), according to Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.

According to IQAir’s air quality classification, the atmosphere becomes “hazardous” to health after the AQI exceeds the 300 mark.

An AQI of 0-5 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 is considered ‘moderate’, 101-150 is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151-200 is simply ‘unhealthy’, 201-300 is ‘very unhealthy ‘, while more than 301 degrees indicates “dangerous”.

Due to the alarming drop in Lahore’s AQI, the city remains at the top of the most polluted cities in the world, with dangerously low visibility, which also points to the worsening smog conditions in the city.

As winter approaches, Lahore is particularly vulnerable to smog, made worse by winds that carry polluted air from neighboring regions, including Amritsar, New Delhi and Chandigarh, at a speed of 7 kilometers per hour.

In view of the current situation, authorities also urged residents through the alert to take precautionary measures.

In the warning, authorities reminded residents to check the AQI before exercising or walking outdoors, use a mask before going to an open place, prevent children from playing outdoors and avoid traveling to heavily smoggy areas .

Meanwhile, the Lahore Traffic Police warned citizens to be careful while riding motorcycles as visibility in the city dropped to one kilometer.

Furthermore, environmentalists stressed that Lahore’s air is “very dangerous” for citizens, and called for the imposition of an ecological emergency in the city.

They said citizens should wear masks and avoid leaving their homes unnecessarily. In addition, medical experts warned residents about the spread of nose, eye and throat diseases due to the dangerous air quality levels.

Smog is particularly bad in winter due to low-quality fuel from factories and vehicles in the low-lying 14-minute megacity, where denser cold air traps emissions at ground level.

Seasonal crop burning by farmers on the outskirts of the provincial capital is also a major contributor.

Lahore and New Delhi tend to be the most polluted cities. Today, the latter maintains its position as the second most polluted city on this scale, with an AQI of 270.

Meanwhile, Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is the third most polluted city in the world, where the AQI was 159. Here the air quality is “unhealthy” for citizens.

Megacity Karachi was ranked fourth in the list this morning with an AQI of 162.

Poor air quality is a major threat to health as citizens in the polluted cities face various medical problems, especially respiratory problems.

Rising air pollution could reduce life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the most polluted regions in the world, according to a report published last year that highlighted the growing burden of hazardous air on health.

Punjab authorities are rushing to tackle the worsening smog crisis and are taking all measures to tackle dangerous levels of pollution.

The province banned extracurricular activities in Lahore from Monday. A spokesperson for the Punjab School Education Department said the ban would last for three months until January 31.

School timings have also been changed to 8:45 am, with effect from October 28 to January 31, 2025. School administrations have been instructed to organize student meetings indoors.

In addition, activities such as fireworks are prohibited until January 31, 2025.