Lahore air quality deteriorated sharply on Friday, pushing the provincial capital to the top of the world’s most polluted cities, according to the air quality monitoring platform IQAir. The city’s air was classified as “hazardous”, renewing concern over a public health and environmental crisis that has become a recurring feature of the winter months in Pakistan.
Lahore Leads the Global Pollution Ranking
According to the IQAir live tracker, Lahore recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 410 on Friday morning, the highest reading among all cities monitored. India’s capital, New Delhi, followed at a distant second with an AQI of 203, while Dakar in Senegal ranked third with a reading of 196.
Lahore was the only Pakistani city among the 20 most polluted cities in the global pollution ranking that morning. Karachi was the only other Pakistani city on the 21-city list, with an AQI of 110.
This is not the first time the city has topped the list this season. On October 2, Lahore also led IQAir’s ranking, with an AQI of 167, a level classified as “unhealthy”. The sharp rise in the intervening three weeks illustrates how quickly conditions have worsened as the colder months approach.
Health Risks Behind Lahore’s Air Quality Crisis
IQAir reported that the concentration of PM2.5 in Lahore was 45.2 times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline value. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometres or smaller. According to IQAir, it poses the greatest health threat of all air pollution measures, because the particles can enter the circulatory system and even the brain. Long-term exposure can cause serious health complications.
For residents, IQAir recommended avoiding outdoor exercise, keeping windows closed to prevent outdoor air from entering homes, wearing a mask outdoors and installing an air purifier indoors.
The effects are already being felt by families. Human rights activist Sheikh Saqib told Dawn that both of his children were suffering from throat infections caused by smog. He warned that school attendance could fall by half as parents stopped sending their children to class amid the worsening air. His account points to the practical disruption that smog in Lahore causes beyond the immediate health concerns.
Lahore Air Quality Readings Differ Across Platforms
Readings from different monitoring systems do not always match, though both indicate severe pollution. The Punjab government’s air quality monitoring platform recorded an AQI of 339 for Lahore at 11am on Thursday, which it classified as “very unhealthy”. That figure was based on data from 10 monitoring stations across the city.
Dawn noted that the difference between the two platforms may stem from variations in monitoring stations, averaging periods and methodologies. Regardless of the source, both sets of data confirm that the air quality index in the provincial capital has reached dangerous levels.
Separately, an analysis released earlier this week by the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) ranked Lahore among cities whose ozone levels were “extremely poor”, adding another dimension to the city’s pollution problem.
Causes and the Dispute Over Government Measures
Air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental challenges facing Pakistan in recent years. Several cities, most notably Lahore, contend with smog, especially in the winter months. The phenomenon is attributed mainly to industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, stubble burning and patterns of air movement.
The effectiveness of official efforts remains contested. Mr Saqib criticised the government for what he described as empty claims about measures to curb pollution. He also disputed the chief minister’s assertion that smog had been brought under control over the past three years, saying he continued to see crop burning while travelling on motorways towards Islamabad and Karachi. “Vehicles emitting smoke are still running on Lahore’s roads,” he said, questioning whether the government’s measures were working. On October 2, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had said her government was making efforts to address environmental issues.
What Residents Can Expect
With winter approaching, the latest readings suggest that Lahore air quality may remain a source of concern in the coming weeks. For now, residents are being advised to limit their exposure and take protective measures, while the debate over the government’s response to the crisis continues. The contrast between official claims and conditions on the ground, as well as the gap between the readings of different monitoring platforms, is likely to keep air pollution at the centre of public discussion.
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