Lahore drops to second spot on pollution ranking again

Lahore dropped one place on the list of the world's most polluted cities by air quality on Friday, a day after reclaiming the top position.

For nearly two months, the city has consistently ranked among the most polluted globally, with dense smog continuing to engulf and disrupt daily life.

Despite fluctuations in the air quality index (AQI) over recent weeks — which even saw massive improvements from the unprecedented hike reported earlier this month — persistent smog continues to engulf the city, leaving residents grappling with hazardous air conditions and health concerns.

Today, the AQI value in Lahore was 222 around 8:30am on the Swiss group IQAir's list, with the concentration of PM2.5 pollutants 29.4 times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guideline values.

Punjab remains the hotspot of air pollution with multiple cities in the grip of stubborn smog. Multan had the worst air quality in the country as the AQI here reached 275 this morning.

Meanwhile, Karachi ranked the fourth-most polluted city in the world with an AQI value of 170, which is deemed unhealthy by the Swiss air quality monitor.

Every winter, a mix of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, exacerbated by seasonal crop burn-off by farmers, blanket parts of Punjab, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds.

Pakistan's second-largest city has been shrouded in a dense layer of hazardous smog for much of November, intensifying health concerns for its residents.

The pollution peaked on November 14 as per the data from IQAir, which showed the megapolis' AQI skyrocketed to an unusually high and hazardous 1,110, and tiny particulate matter reached a staggering 632 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

The authorities declared a health emergency across the province during the month, closed schools and held university classes online. They imposed a ban on construction to try to mitigate the impact of the pollution.

The annual pollution in Lahore not only started earlier than usual, but it was also more severe. PM2.5 concentrations frequently surpassed hazardous thresholds — the highest recorded in the past five years.

Across the border in India, Delhi faced a similar battle with toxic air, as pollution levels surged due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.

Today, the Indian capital topped the pollution rankings, with an AQI value of "hazardous" 341.

Breathing toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the WHO warning that strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be triggered by prolonged exposure.

— Additional input from Reuters