Lahore Tops Global Pollution Index as Toxic Smog Chokes Punjab’s Capital

Lahore has once again been ranked as the world’s most polluted city, with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to 1,067 on Saturday morning.

This figure is over 80 times the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighting a severe air quality crisis that has gripped the walled city as winter approaches, a season notorious for smog formation due to various environmental factors.

The AQI in Lahore reached 1,067 around 9:30 AM, continuing a trend of extremely high pollution levels that have made daily life increasingly challenging for residents.

Meanwhile, visibility was reduced to zero in the megapolis following the rise in smog levels.

However, the AQI improved to 702 by 10:30 am, and later to 283 but Lahore retained its position on the top.

Weather experts forecast that smog intensity will remain high over the next 48 hours, attributing the increase partly to smoke-laden air drifting from New Delhi.

Reports indicate that air quality readings have consistently exceeded safe limits, with figures previously recorded at 707 and even higher in recent weeks.

In light of the transboundary nature of the pollution problem, there have been suggestions from the Punjab government for “smog diplomacy” between Pakistan and India. Officials have proposed collaborative efforts to address the issue collectively rather than attributing blame solely to one another.

Crop burning in Punjab—both in Pakistan and neighbouring India—contributes significantly to pollution. Farmers burn stubble to prepare fields for new crops, releasing vast amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere.