Lahore Air Pollution a Year-Round Problem: Report
Lahore air pollution is not a winter problem alone. Fine particulate matter in the city stayed above Pakistan’s prescribed standards for the past 12 months, even in the cleaner summer season, according to a new analysis from environmental monitoring project Hamari Hawa.
The report, ‘Lahore’s smog: The year-round baseline, and what changes in October’, was released on November 2 by the project’s founder, Hammad Tariq. Dawn reported the findings on Thursday.
On Monday, the city’s air quality index crossed 530 and PM2.5 reached 343 micrograms per cubic metre, hazardous levels that fit the report’s pattern: winter makes a bad baseline worse.
Lahore air pollution stayed high even in summer
According to the analysis, Lahore’s monthly average PM2.5 concentration remained above 35 micrograms per cubic metre from October 2025 to October 2026. Even in the cleaner months, from April to September 2026, monthly averages ranged from 40 to 59 micrograms per cubic metre, against the national annual standard of 15. IQAir data put the lowest monthly average at 40 in June 2026, while October 2025 to February 2026 ranged between 124 and 183. The report cautioned that the national limit of 35 is a 24-hour standard, while the monthly figures are averages, so the comparison shows persistence rather than daily breaches.
Why winter makes Lahore’s air worse
The analysis identified a sharp seasonal fall in the height of the atmospheric layer into which pollutants can disperse as one of the factors behind the winter increase. It estimated that the average mixing height over Lahore fell from around 830 to 860 metres in May and June to about 400 metres in October and 260 metres in November. A shallower layer leaves less air for pollutants to disperse, so ground concentrations can rise even without more emissions, and halving the layer could make smoke two to three times more concentrated.
Crop burning adds to the seasonal peak
The report also examined satellite-detected heat spots on farmland around Lahore, classed as crop-associated detections after excluding locations near kilns, dumps, industrial sites and towns. Between October 15 and November 1, 2026, satellites recorded 781 such detections within 40 kilometres of central Lahore, most of them in Sheikhupura district, with others in Tarn Taran and Amritsar across the border. The report stressed that satellite heat detections do not confirm individual fires. Farmers are now moving to wheat sowing; Punjab has fixed the wheat support price at Rs4,500 a maund.
What produces Lahore’s pollution
Pollution sources operating throughout the year include vehicle exhaust, factories, brick kilns, power plants, generators, household fuels, open rubbish burning and dust. Citing the Urban Unit’s 2023 Lahore emissions inventory, based on 2020-21 data, the report said transport accounted for about 35 per cent of the city’s PM2.5 emissions, compared with 33 per cent from crop-residue burning, 29 per cent from waste burning and three per cent from industry. It cautioned against reading the often-quoted 83 per cent figure for transport as its share of PM2.5, since that figure covers all pollutants by weight and is dominated by carbon monoxide. It also identified 890 mapped brick kilns within 50 kilometres of central Lahore, and cited estimates of the cross-border contribution ranging from 13 to 30 per cent.
Government claims progress in first year of monitoring
Meanwhile, the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) said Lahore recorded a 15 per cent net improvement across six major pollutants in the first year of monitoring, with peak air quality index down 28 per cent and no hazardous days in October 2026, against four last year. Its network has grown from 30 stations to 59, with 612 electric buses introduced and 10,000 super seeders cutting stubble burning by one-third.
The two accounts do not cancel each other out. The report’s central finding was that the seasonal improvement does not mean Lahore has clean air during the rest of the year: persistent emissions form the baseline, while the shrinking mixing layer and crop-residue burning add to it in smog season. Feature Pakistan reported earlier this week on fire hotspots around the city, and air pollution already costs Pakistan about 6.5 per cent of GDP each year. October was also Pakistan’s sixth-hottest in 66 years, adding to the strain on public health as the smog season sets in.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Hamari Hawa report find about Lahore’s air?
Monthly average PM2.5 stayed above standards for 12 straight months.
How bad was Lahore’s air on Monday?
AQI crossed 530 and PM2.5 hit 343 micrograms per cubic metre.
What causes Lahore’s smog in winter?
Year-round emissions, a shallower mixing layer, and seasonal crop burning.
Has Lahore’s air quality improved?
The government claims a 15 per cent improvement. The report says the baseline stays above standards all year.
