Lahore, Karachi rank among world’s top 4 most polluted cities

ISLAMABAD: Lahore and Karachi have been ranked third and fourth respectively on a list of the world's most polluted cities.

According to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index, Lahore recorded a particulate matter (PM) rating of 181, placing the city at the third spot on the global index of most polluted cities. Karachi, however, reported a particulate matter (PM) rating of 163 and was declared the fourth most polluted city in the world.

It is pertinent to mention here that the US Air Quality Index declared India’s New Delhi “the most polluted city in the world”.

As per the Air Quality Index, a city that records the PM rating from 151 to 200 falls under the “unhealthy” category, 201 to 300 under “highly unhealthy” and 301 and above come under the “dangerous” category.

Earlier on November 2, the AQI reached 289 in Lahore, which put the city on the list of the most polluted cities in the world.

Smog had engulfed the provincial metropolis, blurring vision and causing serious health problems for citizens.

The sudden increase in smog has raised serious questions over the performance of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environmental Protection Department (EPD), which seemed to fail in implementing the standard operating procedures to counter smog, The News had reported.