Daily Times

Residents in Lahore continued to struggle under “hazardous” air quality, with the city retaining its title as the most polluted in the world as its air quality index (AQI) reached 666 on Tuesday morning.

According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitor, the level of deadly particulate matter (PM2.5) pollutants – the fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health – reached 376 around 10am, which is 75.2 times more than the level recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Meanwhile, the AQI, which measures a range of pollutants, spiked to a whopping 666 early morning, as shown in the list of world’s most polluted cities.

Later, the AQI dipped to 609 before dropping further to 601. However, these levels did not make much difference to the smog situation in Lahore as these levels are still considered hazardous.

Additionally, the Punjab Secretary for Environment Protection and Climate Change, Raja Jahangir Anwar revealed that smog-laden air pressure from India to Lahore was still present with eastern winds moving towards the megalopolis at a speed of four kilometres per hour, hindering efforts to bring down the AQI and smog levels.

Indian capital New Delhi ranked second on the most polluted cities’ list with an AQI of 406.

Anwar 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.