Lahore World’s Most Polluted City as AQI Passes 500

Lahore remained the world’s most polluted city on Thursday, while several cities across Punjab recorded Air Quality Index levels of 500 or higher, as air pollution continued to pose a serious health risk.

Punjab’s air quality monitoring data showed Lahore at an AQI of 346 at 8am, down 98 points from 444 at the same time a day earlier. IQAir recorded the city’s AQI at 344, 363 and 371 at different times of the day, with Lahore keeping the top place in its global pollution rankings. New Delhi ranked second.

Tribune reported that a new report by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative found air pollution in Lahore had risen by 32 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Lahore still the world’s most polluted city

The reading of 346 was lower than the day before, but it was still far into the range that doctors call hazardous. An AQI above 300 counts as hazardous, and Lahore has spent most of this week above that line.

The rest of Punjab was worse in places. IQAir recorded AQI levels of 519 in Raiwind, 515 in Bahawalpur and 507 in Multan, while Gujranwala registered 411. Punjab’s own monitoring network recorded levels of up to 500 in Kasur, Jhang, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Pakpattan and Sahiwal.

Within Lahore, the dirtiest air was in Kahna Nau at 423, followed by Multan Road and DHA Phase VI at 414 each. Egerton Road recorded 390, Safari Park 380, Barki Road 364 and Shahdara 357.

AQI over 500 across Punjab

The figures matter because they are not a one-day spike. A report by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, covering November 4 to 10, showed Lahore’s average concentration of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, at 207.1 micrograms per cubic metre. That was 32 per cent higher than the average of 156.4 recorded during the same period last year.

The city’s average AQI during the seven-day period was 257. PM2.5 levels stayed above Pakistan’s National Environmental Quality Standards limit of 35 micrograms per cubic metre on all seven days.

November 9 was the most polluted day of the period, with PM2.5 reaching 253.7 micrograms per cubic metre and the AQI standing at 303. The average PM2.5 level was around 13.8 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s 24-hour guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre.

The report also found that Lahore’s average PM10 concentration stood at 435.4 micrograms per cubic metre during the period, nearly three times Pakistan’s permissible limit of 150. A review of nine years of data showed that the first week of November this year was the fourth most polluted week recorded in that time.

What the PAQI report found

The report points to two causes working together. The first is the weather. Wind speeds were 32 per cent lower than last year, which limited the dispersal of pollutants. Those conditions contributed an estimated 16 per cent to the rise in pollution levels.

The second is fire. Citing NASA satellite data, the report found 4,933 fire incidents across Pakistan and India between November 4 and 10. Of these, 2,824 were reported in Pakistan and 2,104 in India. The report linked air movement from fire-affected areas to higher pollution in Lahore, noting that PM2.5 levels were 124 per cent higher on days when winds passed over those areas.

Punjab’s environment agency has already linked Diwali fireworks and smoke in India to the spike in Lahore’s air pollution, but the PAQI figures show that fires inside Pakistan made up the larger share of the incidents counted.

Why the air got worse

The health effects of air this dirty are well known. PM2.5 particles are small enough to pass deep into the lungs and into the blood. They worsen asthma, heart disease and lung infections, and they hit children and older people hardest.

The official response so far has mixed enforcement with appeals. Lahore has challaned 11,871 smoke-emitting vehicles in the current crackdown. Faisalabad recorded an AQI of 600 as its own smog crackdown widened, which shows the problem reaches well beyond the provincial capital.

Light rain is forecast for Karachi on Friday, but no rain is expected in Lahore in the coming days. Without wind or rain to clear the air, the smog is likely to stay until the weather changes. For now, the advice stays the same: limit time outdoors, wear a mask, and keep windows shut during the worst hours.

Frequently asked questions

What was Lahore’s AQI on Thursday?

Lahore recorded an AQI of 346 at 8am, down from 444 a day earlier. IQAir readings through the day were 344, 363 and 371, keeping Lahore at the top of the global pollution rankings.

Which Punjab cities crossed AQI 500?

Raiwind recorded 519, Bahawalpur 515 and Multan 507. Punjab’s monitoring network also recorded levels of up to 500 in Kasur, Jhang, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Pakpattan and Sahiwal.

How bad is PM2.5 in Lahore?

Lahore’s average PM2.5 from November 4 to 10 was 207.1 micrograms per cubic metre, about 13.8 times the World Health Organisation’s 24-hour guideline of 15.

What caused the spike in pollution?

The PAQI report points to low wind speeds, down 32 per cent on last year, and to 4,933 fire incidents across Pakistan and India in the same week, most of them in Pakistan.

How does this week compare with last year?

Air pollution in Lahore was 32 per cent higher than the same period last year, and the first week of November was the fourth most polluted week in nine years of data.