Toxic air chokes Lahore as AQI hits 400

LAHORE: With the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching around 400, the provincial capital on Wednesday once again topped the list of the world’s ten most polluted cities.

According to IQAir, Lahore’s average AQI stood at 287, but in some localities it exceeded 400. Medical experts advised citizens to stay indoors unless necessary and to wear masks when going outside. Following the hazardous AQI levels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began spraying water twice daily on 47 major roads, including Jail Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Noor Jahan Road, MM Alam Road, GT Road, Band Road, Ravi Road, Shahdara, Sagian, Nazaria Pakistan Road, Raiwind Road, and Ferozepur Road, among other areas with poor air quality.

As per US standards, an AQI of 287 is classified as “very unhealthy,” being 42.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s annual PM2.5 guideline value. The city’s most polluted areas included Allama Iqbal Town (455), Forest Department Office Ravi Road (425), Bedian Road (390).

In response to the worsening situation, the EPA has banned dry sweeping on public places and major highways, as well as the use of lime powder for road cleaning. A notification issued by the EPA director general stated that dust particles remain suspended in the air for several hours, contributing significantly to smog formation.

The DG emphasised that sweeping of roads using water spray was mandatory during the current season. Meanwhile, Senior Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that crop residue burning in Punjab had decreased by 65 percent this year, citing the latest report by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). She said the report compared crop residue burning and air quality data between the current and previous year.

Marriyum contended that smog levels in Pakistani cities were worsening primarily due to pollution drifting from across the border in India. She added that the SUPARCO report was a testament to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s commitment and vision for improving the province’s environment.

“Continuing this direction will lead to environmental improvement in Punjab similar to Beijing’s experience in recent years,” she said, adding that

“China and the United Kingdom also faced severe smog, but through effective strategies and consistent measures, they managed to overcome it.”