Lahore becomes the most polluted city in the world

With Air Quality Index (AQI) touching the mark 708, Lahore over again, topped the sphere map within the list of most polluted cities of the sphere, reported First light.

With PM2.5 concentrations spiking to 431 ug/m3–86 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual safe limit–the health of millions of Lahore residents is further and further jeopardised, First light reported.

Even the underside AQI reading within the provincial capital registered a deadly 246, categorised as “very unhealthy.”
Experts stated that the severe pollution in Lahore can now no longer be disregarded as seasonal, with hazardous smog persisting even in summer months, an indication of “systemic environmental mismanagement.”

The crisis stems no longer just from stubble burning but from uncontrolled vehicular emissions, out of date industrial practices, and ineffective environmental oversight.

Deepest air quality monitors across Lahore reported even higher AQI levels, with readings reaching a staggering 953 in Gulberg, 810 near Pakistan Engineering Services and products, and 784 on Syed Maratab Ali Road.

Yet, the secretary of the Environment Protection and Culture Change Department (EPCCD) disregarded these readings, pointing out that government monitors use lower-cost sensors and that personal data “may perchance no longer be thought of reliable,” reported First light.

The EPCCD also acknowledged Pakistan’s lack of comprehensive research into smog sources, admitting that official estimates of vehicular emissions range widely from Forty to Eighty per cent of Lahore’s pollution load.

Contributing factors encompass four.5 million motorcycles, over 1,000,000 cars, and reasonably an efficient deal of factories and brick kilns, many operating without emission controls.

Currently, Lahore relies on only three functional air quality monitors, with eight additional units planned for November. Then again, pollution levels peak between Eleven pm and 5 am, coinciding with the movement of heavy trucks and ongoing construction. This leaves residents exposed to unmonitored toxic air one day of essential hours.

In response, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb issued an emergency alert urging citizens to wear masks and limit outside activities, though critics argue that such advisories fall short.

Factories and kilns continue to function, and construction remains unchecked, exacerbating air quality in an identical way. The government has acknowledged that middle of the night air quality deteriorates caused by heavy truck movement and ongoing construction, First light reported.

The Punjab government claims it truly is going to address the matter by adding new air monitors and making improvements to reporting, but delays have left millions in danger. Pakistan’s reluctance to position in force environmental policies has allowed pollution levels to arrive hazardous highs, making Lahore’s persistent pollution crisis a sobering example of inadequate governance and public health negligence.