Lahore tops most polluted cities' list again with persistent thick smog

Lahore continued to grapple with "hazardous" air quality, as the city retains its status as the most polluted city in the world, with an alarming air quality index (AQI), reaching 666 on Tuesday morning.

As per the Swiss air quality monitor, IQAir, the concentration of harmful particulate matter (PM2.5) pollutants that cause the most damage to health, soared to 376 around 10am.

This concentration level is a staggering 75.2 times above the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended levels.

Although the AQI, which measures a range of pollutants, later fluctuated, dipping to 609 and then to 601, these figures remained well within the hazardous zone.

Additionally, noting the persistence of  smog-laden air pressure from India to Lahore, Punjab Secretary for Environment Protection and Climate Change, Raja Jahangir Anwar revealed that eastern winds were moving towards the city at four kilometres per hour, hindering efforts to bring down the AQI and smog levels.

It is important to note that the Indian capital, New Delhi, ranked second on the most polluted cities' list with an AQI of 406.

Anwar also noted the continued drop in Lahore's AQI levels and warned farmers to refrain from burning crops which may worsen it. He also urged residents to take precautionary measures, like using masks, and to keep gardens and ponds closed.

It is also important to note that there has been a rapid spread of eye, nose, ear, and throat diseases among citizens as a result of suffocating levels of smog enveloping Punjab.

According to the Punjab Health Department, more than 55,000 cases of eye infections were reported in the province between October 21 and 27 while over 7,000 people reported eye infections in Lahore.

The department added that more than 6,000 people reported nose, ear, and throat problems and medical experts advised people in smog-affected regions to use more water.

The latest AQI in Lahore comes after the provincial environment protection department on Monday issued yet another smog alert, asking citizens to adopt precautionary measures.

Citizens were advised to refrain from unnecessarily going outside and use masks while leaving their houses for unavoidable reasons.

In a related development, the department also established a Smog War Room at its headquarters where focal persons will brief the Punjab's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director general and other officers concerned on a daily basis regarding their steps to curb smog.

Additionally, the department also announced "mandatory" leaves for those students in Lahore's special education centres who contracted illness due to polluted air from November 1 to January 31, 2025, amid smog crisis.

The order stated that the decision was taken for students who are suffering from cardiac, respiratory, and other diseases.

The unusual air pollution levels in Lahore prompted authorities to take emergency measures, including closing down the primary schools for a week and mandating work-from-home mandates.

Besides shutting down the schools, the government has advised citizens to ensure children wear masks and stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut, and avoid unnecessary travel.

A ban on three-wheelers known as rickshaws and construction in certain areas has been imposed to reduce the pollution levels, with a warning of permanent closure of factories and construction sites failing to comply with the regulations.